Vicky Lawson, University of Washington
This course explores causes and patterns of global poverty and links this to the urgent need for care and care ethics in our lives and in society broadly. We begin with a critical approach to global poverty studies, focusing on the production of inequality across the globe (including the rich countries). We look at how shifts in contemporary society suggest an urgent need for care (in many senses). Specifically, we examine the context for care including: i) the extension of market relations into almost everything (health care, education, environmental protection, elder-care etc.; ii) the systematic devaluation of care-work; iii) pervasive discourses of personal responsibility (for poverty, inner city decline, unemployment, etc.); and iv) withdrawal of state supports in many crucial arenas. We focus on how care work is devalued and globalized through international flows of care that contribute to global inequality. Through our analysis of global interconnections we will think about our responsibilities to care for those who are near and those who are across the globe.
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