Gender and the Caring Dimension of Welfare States: Toward Inclusive Citizenship

Abstract

This article brings care to the center of analysis of welfare states. We argue that modern welfare states have shaped needs and rights of caregivers and care receivers and have done so in ways that contribute to gender inequality in citizenship rights. This idea is explored through a comparative analysis of Britain, Denmark, and the Netherlands and reveals different patterns of organizing care. Due to the focus on care as an integral part of citizenship, the Danish welfare state has come closest to gender equality. After presenting this analysis, four dilemmas of care are discussed: care as public or private responsibility, care as paid and unpaid work, care as a form of dependence or independence, and care as the right of caregivers or of care receivers. These dilemmas lie at the heart of the welfare state and illuminate how care policies can contribute to the ideal of inclusive and ungendered citizenship.