Definition
An “ethics of care” ethics centers on giving and receiving good care by individuals, organizations, and institutions. Shared themes and emphases, rather than a common definition, are used to explicate care ethics (Hamington 2018). An ethics of care emphasizes the themes of relationality, viewing situations from multiple perspectives, learning from others, and mutual problem solving. Care ethics give precedence to contextual, concrete knowledge and to values such as attentiveness, responsibility, competence, inclusion, and responsiveness. Respect for people and for how they understand their own situations are central to this perspective, as are relationships and emotional connections (Burnier 2003).
An ethics of care is germane to civil society actors and organizations because they provide care to people, places, and living things locally and globally. Nonprofits and voluntary organizations deliver social and human services, represent plural values and perspectives, and...
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References
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Further Reading
Barnes, M. (2006). Caring and social justice. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Cottam, H. (2018). Radical help: How we can remake the relationship between us and revolutionise the welfare state. London: Virago Press.
Noddings, N. (2002). Starting at home: Caring and social policy. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Robinson, F. (2011). The ethics of care: A feminist approach to human security. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Sevenhuijsen, S. (1998). Citizenship and the ethics of care. New York: Routledge.
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Burnier, D. (2023). Ethics of Care. In: List, R.A., Anheier, H.K., Toepler, S. (eds) International Encyclopedia of Civil Society. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99675-2_9577-1
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