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Carework as a form of bodywork

Twigg, Julia (2000) Carework as a form of bodywork. Ageing and Society, 20 . pp. 389-411. ISSN 0144-686X. (doi:10.1017/s0144686x99007801) (Access to this publication is currently restricted. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:16688)

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Language: English

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Abstract

The paper argues for the importance of recognising carework as a form of bodywork. It discusses why this central dimension has been neglected in accounts of carework, pointing to the ways in which community care has traditionally been analysed, the resistance of social gerontology to an overly bodily emphasis, and the conceptual dominance of the debate on care. Drawing on a study of the provision of help with bathing and washing for older people at home, it explores the body dimension of the activity, looking at how careworkers negotiate nakedness and touch, manage dirt and disgust, balance intimacy and distance. Finally, the paper draws together some of the key themes of this bodywork: its designation as 'dirty work', its hidden, silenced character, the low occupational esteem in which it is held and its gendered nature.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1017/s0144686x99007801
Uncontrolled keywords: body; carework; intimacy; dirty work; gender
Subjects: H Social Sciences
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Depositing User: Julia Twigg
Date Deposited: 03 Jun 2009 23:27 UTC
Last Modified: 09 Mar 2023 11:31 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/16688 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Twigg, Julia.

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