Description
Book SynopsisThe 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.
Trade ReviewWith 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 care—in 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 *
Table of ContentsChapter 1 PART 1. CONTESTING THE "INDEPENDENT MAN" Chapter 2 A Genealogy of Dependency: Tracing a Keyword of the U.S. Welfare State Chapter 3 Autonomy, Welfare Reform, and Meaningful Work Chapter 4 Dependency and Choice: The Two Faces of Eve Chapter 5 PART 2. LEGAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS IN THE FACE OF DEPENDENCY Chapter 6 The Right to Care Chapter 7 Subsidized Lives and the Ideology of Efficiency Chapter 8 Dependency Work, Women, and the Global Economy Chapter 9 PART 3. JUST SOCIAL ARRANGEMENTS AND FAMILIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEPENDENCY Chapter 10 Justice and the Labor of Care Chapter 11 The Future of Feminist Liberalism Chapter 12 Masking Dependency: The Political Role of Family Rhetoric Chapter 13 PART 4. DEPENDENCY CARE IN CASES OF SPECIFIC VULNERABILITY Chapter 14 The Decasualization of Eldercare Chapter 15 When Caring is Just and Justice is Caring: Justice and Mental Retardation Chapter 16 Poverty, Race, and the Distortion of Dependency: The Case of Kinship Care Chapter 17 "Doctor's Orders": Parents and Intersexed Children Chapter 18 SECTION 5. DEPENDENCY, SUBJECTIVITY, AND IDENTITY Chapter 19 Subjectivity as Responsivity: The Ethical Implications of Dependency Chapter 20 "Race" and the Labor of Identity Chapter 21 Dependence on Place, Dependence in Place
