Carework

Carework refers to a set of activities aimed at maintaining and improving the well-being and functioning of people who cannot fully care for themselves. It includes direct physical care, emotional support, and coordination of services for children, older adults, people with disabilities, and the chronically ill. Carework can be performed by family members or paid professionals and can occur in homes, community settings, or institutions.

Direct care tasks include feeding, bathing, dressing, mobility assistance, and monitoring health, while broader care roles involve planning daily routines, arranging services, managing medications, and supporting families.

Economic and social aspects: A substantial portion of care work is unpaid and provided primarily by women, shaping gender inequalities and labor market outcomes. Paid care work is a growing sector in many economies, often with concerns about pay, training, and working conditions, and frequently involves cross-border migration of caregivers.

Policy and debates: Demographic change, female labor participation, and evolving family structures raise demands for formal care services, caregiver protections, and affordable options. Recognizing care work as essential infrastructure, governments pursue investments in services, wages, education, and care infrastructure.

Measurement and research: Scholars examine care regimes, social reproduction, and care chains to understand patterns by class, race, and geography. Debates address balancing home-based and institutional care, the role of technology, and the ethics of caregiving.