Ateneo - UPO

Sociology of care and care networks

For further information, these will not be exam texts:
Bakker, I. (2007) Social Reproduction and the Constitution of a Gendered Political Economy, New Political Economy, 12 (4), pp. 541 556
Tronto, J. C. (2006) Confini morali. Un argomento politico per l'etica della cura, trad. it. N. Reggio Emilia, Edizioni Diabasis; ed. Moral Boundaries. A political Argument for an Ethic of Care, Routledge, Chapman and Hall, Inc., 1993
Paci, M. (2005) Nuovi lavori e nuovo welfare. Sicurezza e libertà nella società attiva, Bologna, Il Mulino
Manueddu, E. (2004) Tra mestoli e scrivanie: il lavoro delle donne. Attori, problemi, norme e pratiche della conciliazione, Quaderni di donne & ricerca, CIRSDe, Torino, Trauben Edizioni
Ferrera, M. (2006) Le politiche sociali, Bologna, Il Mulino
FERRERA M., (1993), Modelli di solidarietà. Politica e riforme sociali nelle democrazie, Bologna, il Mulino
FERRERA M., (1996), The Southern Model of welfare in social Europe, in Journal of European Social Policy, vol. 6, n. 1, pp. 17-37
FERRERA M., (2006) Le politiche sociali. L’Italia in prospettiva comparata, Bologna, il Mulino
BULMER M. (1987), The Social Basis of Community Care, Allen & Unwin, London; trad. it. Le basi della community care. Sociologia delle relazioni informali di cura, Trento, Centro Studi Erickson (1992)
Il Community care quale possibile modello di integrazione socio-sanitaria a livello territoriale di Luciana Ridolfi, Paper for the Espanet Conference “Innovare il welfare. Percorsi di trasformazione in Italia e in Europa” Milano, 29 Settembre – 1° ottobre 2011

Acquire useful concepts and definitions for the analysis of care, considering the structuring dimensions (gender, class, nationality)
Develop a critical approach to "ahistorical" and universalistic visions of care, in order to interpret needs and actions in relation to the contexts of each case
Acquire knowledge on the actors of formal and informal care
Know how to analyse care networks by distinguishing between types of networks and actors involved in the care of a non-independent individual
Acquire useful knowledge to build care networks for the patient by involving the various actors and resources available, considering the needs of the various caregivers

Nothing

Interactive frontal lessons
Application of concepts learned with collective exercises

1. Care work in sociological theories: definitions compared (care and domestic work, productive and reproductive work); care as a process
2. The historical, social, political and ideological context of family care work: economic and social changes, inside and outside the family; social and family identity of females: the family of feelings and education; the “immobility" of gender relations in family work; Feelings as a distinctive feminine element; the ethics of care; Informal care work as a form of social injustice; The political dimension of care and power relations in societies; The ethics of the commodification of care
3. Care actors: state, market, family and third sector and care networks (informal primary networks such as family, friends and neighbours, family carers; informal secondary networks, i.e. voluntary organisations; and formal secondary networks: health services and social)
4. Community care: the community in sociology, the second welfare, community welfare, community care and types of care, the third sector in Italy
5. Integration of care and socio-health integration: definitions, historical notes in Italy, community health centres, the family and community nursing model

At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to demonstrate a good knowledge of the basic knowledge related to:
- Sociological concepts of care and the context in which it takes shape
- Actors who are currently involved in care and assistance networks
- To the sociological concept of community and to the community as an actor of care
- the definition and detection of the integration of services and professionals in the health and socio-health sectors and the integration between the various actors who, in various capacities, are involved in the process of caring for non-self-sufficient individuals (long-term sick people, elderly people, disabled people and invalids)