Women's paid work and moral economies of care

McDowell, L., Ray, K., Perrons, D., Fagan, C. and Ward, K. 2005. Women's paid work and moral economies of care. Social & Cultural Geography. 6 (2), pp. 219-235. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649360500074642

TitleWomen's paid work and moral economies of care
TypeJournal article
AuthorsMcDowell, L., Ray, K., Perrons, D., Fagan, C. and Ward, K.
Abstract

Female labour force participation has been increasing in recent decades, in part encouraged by state policies to raise the employment rate to encourage economic competitiveness and combat social exclusion. Social provision for care, however, has lagged behind this increase, creating practical and moral dilemmas for individuals and for society, facing parents with complex choices about how to combine work and care. In this paper, we draw on a qualitative study in London to explore the extent to which the large-scale entry of women into waged work is altering women's understandings of their duties and responsibilities to care for others. We conclude that their decisions are influenced by class position, entrenched gender inequalities in the labour market, varying abilities to pay for care and complex gendered understandings of caring responsibilities.

Keywordsworklife balance, childcare, gendered moral rationalities, narratives of care
JournalSocial & Cultural Geography
Journal citation6 (2), pp. 219-235
ISSN1464-9365
1470-1197
Year2005
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/14649360500074642
Publication dates
PublishedApr 2005
File

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