Conoscenza e lavoro nella crisi della cura. Piste di ricerca e di azione per ripensare il care work

Knowledge and Labor in the Care Crisis. Paths for research and action for rethinking care work The article discusses ongoing changes in care work, which is a crucial sector for building equitable and socio-ecologically sustainable societies. It highlights the contradictions between the social and economic undervaluation of care work and its essential role in social reproduction. In contemporary capitalism, these contradictions have taken on the characteristics of a real care crisis. Focusing primarily on paid care work in Italy, the paper analyses the tensions between public and private responsibilities, professionalisation processes, deteriorating working conditions and emerging collective responses. It also emphasises the role that public knowledge-building processes can play in supporting collective action that rethinks care beyond market logics, in order to guarantee decent working conditions and recognise the interdependent nature of care work and its public value. Finally, the paper provides an overview of the contributions to the Special Issue.