Informal Caregiving

Informal caregiving refers to the unpaid provision of care and support to relatives, friends, or neighbors who are ill, disabled, frail, or otherwise dependent, usually within domestic or community settings rather than through formal services. It includes personal care, emotional support, household tasks, transport, and coordination of professional help, and it is performed disproportionately by women, midlife adults, and increasingly by young carers. Feminist scholars have been central to its study. Hilary Graham and Janet Finch analyzed how caring is both labor and love, Clare Ungerson examined the effects of payments for care, and Arlie Hochschild’s work on emotional labor and the second shift illuminates the hidden effort involved. Joan Tronto developed an ethics of care that treats caring as a public and political concern, while Eva Feder Kittay highlighted the dependency work that sustains society. Researchers document consequences including financial strain, reduced employment, social isolation, and poor health among carers. Population ageing and austerity have increased reliance on unpaid care, prompting debate about carers’ rights and state responsibility. Informal caregiving remains vital for understanding gender, family, welfare, and inequality.