The Subject of Care: Feminist Perspectives on Dependency

(Paperback)

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Description

All persons spend a considerable portion of their lives either as dependents or the caretakers of dependents. The fact of human dependency - a function of youth, severe illness, disability, or frail old age - marks our lives, not only as those who are cared for, but as those who engage in the work of caring. In spite of the time, energy and resources, material and emotional, social and individual, that dependency care requires, these concerns rarely enter into philosophical, legal and political discussions. The fiction of the "indpendent actor" obscures the centrality of dependency in our lives. The essays of this volume consider how acknowledgement of the fact of dependency changes our conceptions of law, political theory and morality, as well as our very conceptions of self. The volume's contributors develop feminist understandings of dependency, reassessing the place dependency occupies in our lives and in a just social order.

Reviews

With rich, interdisciplinary essays by pioneers in the field as well as pathbreaking newcomers, The Subject of Care takes us through key political and philosophical debates and then out on the other side to envision new meanings for dependency and care. This book is essential reading for all those who perform the work of caring and receive carein other words, for all of us. -- Sonya Michel, University of Maryland, College Park
While the work is highly recommended for the way that it assists in creatively moving on the debate over an ethics of care, it is also successful in provoking reflection on wider issues. * Philosophy in Review *
This interdisciplinary anthology succeeds compellingly and convincingly at the challenge of arguing for the central role of dependency in understanding human agency, sociopolitical philosophy and policy, and ethical obligations. * Social Theory and Practice *
Eva Kittay and Ellen Feder have brought together (and both contributed to) an excellent collection of essays on various aspects of relations of care, focused in particular on relations of dependency. The volume as a whole provides a rich resource for thinking about a number of dimensions of dependency, and relations of care for dependents. This volume is rich with new terminology, fresh concepts and ideas, creative analyses and suggested novel approaches to intractable social problems, not only regarding relations of dependency, but also a number of other issues, including racism, sexism, classism, globalization, and environmental degradation. Although the essays mainly deal only with the United States, the text is nonetheless a valuable resource for feminists, both activists and scholars, both in the United States and elsewhere, as well as a useful text to use all or parts of in graduate seminars relating to feminist theory, sociology, economics, social ethics, and political philosophy. * APA Newsletter on Feminism and Philosophy *
If anything stands out after reading these essays, it is that so many provided new, engaging conceptual and political insights into care. . . . While tackling many issues from a distinctly feminist perspective, these contributors also provide reflections and proposals that are essential reading for any political theorist, philosopher, or activist currently committed to a substantive vision of freedom and a progressive approach to social justice. * Contemporary Political Thought *
This book is filled with intelligence, analytic precision, and moral vision. Essential reading for philosophers, political theorists, policy makers, and those interested in expanding their understanding of the human condition. -- Roger S. Gottlieb, author of A Greener Faith: Religious Environmentalism and our Planet's Future
Interesting and thought-provoking essays, and by collecting them this way Kittay and Feder have helped define and advance one of the most important projects of contemporary feminist theory. -- G.A.C. * Ethics: An International Journal of Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy *
These are interesting and thought-provoking essays, and by collecting them min this way Kittay and Feder have helped define and advance one of the most important projects of contemporary feminist theory. -- Grace A. Clement * Book Review Digest *

Author Bio

Eva Feder Kittay is professor of philosophy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and the author, most recently, of Love's Labor: Essays on Women, Equality, and Dependence. Ellen K. Feder is assistant professor of philosophy at American University. The pair have also coedited a special issue of Hypatia on the family and feminist theory.