As the Care Work and the Economy project is closing out this chapter, it is important to look at any lessons learned and turn toward the future of the field. In the final day of the Concluding Annual Meeting, Dr. Elizabeth King, Co-Principal Investigator of the project, gives an overview of policy lessons from the research project.
A theme that summarizes the lessons from the project is “care for all” which acknowledges that everyone is in need of care, not just the young, sick, and elderly, but also care workers and everyone else in between. The actors in a care economy include individuals/families/communities, paid care workers, private sector employers, and the government at all levels. The Care Work and the Economy project had papers written about each of these actors. Through policy simulations, macroeconomic models that explicitly include gender and care work, and time use and household surveys, the researchers were able to analyze the interactions and behaviors of the actors in the care economy. The flow of care services between the actors is determined by policies or social norms. Each set of actors has a way to contribute as a giver and receiver of care. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed that the care burden still falls disproportionately on women so there is much work to do. The lessons and findings from this project should be carried forward while there is momentum and attention towards care infrastructure and economy.
To watch Dr. King’s full keynote presentation, see below.
Written by Catherine Falvey, Research Assistant for the Care Work and the Economy project and PhD student in Economics at American University