CHAPTER SEVEN
The Ethic of Care
Gilligan (1982) defined the ethic of care as an activity of relationship, of seeing and responding to need, of taking care of the world by sustaining the web of connection so that no one is left alone. Gilligan wrote that
My research suggests that men and women may speak different languages that they assume are the same, using similar words to encode disparate experiences of self and social relationships. Because these languages share an overlapping moral vocabulary, they contain a propensity for systematic mistranslation, creating misunderstandings which impede communication and limit the potential for cooperation and care in relationships. At the same time, however, these languages articulate with one another …show more content…
It may also prevent one from doing the activities truly desired because of the belief that to do so would be selfish. Women often receive double message about the value of individuality, achievement, and autonomy and also the need to be in connection with others (Chodorow, 1978). According to Henderson and Allen (1991:100) ‘the problem for women is no in the value of care, connection, and “other-centeredness”, rather, the problem is in giving only to others and to consider it “selfish” to care for the self, particularly in regard to basic human activities like leisure, recreation, and relaxation. Caring is not selfless and passive, not is it a weakness’.
In her dialectic contextual framework, Gilligan put attention to the need for balance in life. Similar to dialectic of the ethic of care, the relationship between constrain and possibility within leisure can enable women to make choices which can satisfy the various dimensions of life experiences, rather than lead to self-denial and self-sacrifice (Henderson and Allen, …show more content…
• Women may prioritize spending time on others in public space.
Limited money Women may have limited money for public space activities, because they;
• Forego wage work or choose part time or low paying work to accommodate child-care and household responsibilities.
• Prioritize spending money on others.
• Work in traditional women’s jobs, which are often ‘caring’ occupations that pay little.
Limited Mobility • Responsibility for housework, child-care makers women’s transportation more stressful, fragmented, complex, restricted in distance, and time consuming.
• Prioritizing others’ transportation needs may limit women’s access to cars, and increase their reliance on public transit.
Isolation, limited social interaction • Their choice of suburbs as ideal environments for children may increase women’s isolation in the suburbs.
• Prioritizing others’ needs, preferences may limit women’s own social interaction in public space.
Limited opportunities Women public space opportunities may be constrained by:
• Household. Child-care responsibilities
• Fear for children’s safety
• Prioritizing others’ needs,
The Ethic of Care
Gilligan (1982) defined the ethic of care as an activity of relationship, of seeing and responding to need, of taking care of the world by sustaining the web of connection so that no one is left alone. Gilligan wrote that
My research suggests that men and women may speak different languages that they assume are the same, using similar words to encode disparate experiences of self and social relationships. Because these languages share an overlapping moral vocabulary, they contain a propensity for systematic mistranslation, creating misunderstandings which impede communication and limit the potential for cooperation and care in relationships. At the same time, however, these languages articulate with one another …show more content…
It may also prevent one from doing the activities truly desired because of the belief that to do so would be selfish. Women often receive double message about the value of individuality, achievement, and autonomy and also the need to be in connection with others (Chodorow, 1978). According to Henderson and Allen (1991:100) ‘the problem for women is no in the value of care, connection, and “other-centeredness”, rather, the problem is in giving only to others and to consider it “selfish” to care for the self, particularly in regard to basic human activities like leisure, recreation, and relaxation. Caring is not selfless and passive, not is it a weakness’.
In her dialectic contextual framework, Gilligan put attention to the need for balance in life. Similar to dialectic of the ethic of care, the relationship between constrain and possibility within leisure can enable women to make choices which can satisfy the various dimensions of life experiences, rather than lead to self-denial and self-sacrifice (Henderson and Allen, …show more content…
• Women may prioritize spending time on others in public space.
Limited money Women may have limited money for public space activities, because they;
• Forego wage work or choose part time or low paying work to accommodate child-care and household responsibilities.
• Prioritize spending money on others.
• Work in traditional women’s jobs, which are often ‘caring’ occupations that pay little.
Limited Mobility • Responsibility for housework, child-care makers women’s transportation more stressful, fragmented, complex, restricted in distance, and time consuming.
• Prioritizing others’ transportation needs may limit women’s access to cars, and increase their reliance on public transit.
Isolation, limited social interaction • Their choice of suburbs as ideal environments for children may increase women’s isolation in the suburbs.
• Prioritizing others’ needs, preferences may limit women’s own social interaction in public space.
Limited opportunities Women public space opportunities may be constrained by:
• Household. Child-care responsibilities
• Fear for children’s safety
• Prioritizing others’ needs,