Episode 15 reading list

A truly modern dilemma: the scarcity of care — and children

As our loyal listeners will know, the contemporary (Western) norm whereby both men and women participate in the (non-agricultural) workforce has changed our default assumptions about how young children, the ill, and the elderly are cared for. Indeed, the fact that the title of your next homework assignment makes a direct connection between the difficulties of providing care and the principle of sex equality was why the book caught my eye. Acton and I — again, as you know — like to call a spade a spade.

Though Goodhart is British and most of the policy discussion relates to the UK, the overarching issues are just as applicable to the United States: the impacts of changing family structures (single parenthood, delayed child bearing, unplanned childlessness, increasing intentional childlessness), the consistent lower status and pay of workers in the so-called “care economy”, and — overshadowing it all — the impending culture shock of a world with a lopsided number of the elderly due to the nearly world-wide collapse in birthrates.

We’re looking forward to a wide-ranging discussion about the many issues raised in this hot-of-the-presses book!