Cultural Theory: The politics of care in Covid-19 and beyond

The  coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the centrality of care in sustaining life as well and has revealed the profound failures of neoliberal approaches to handling care. Neoliberalism fosters an individualistic and marketised view of care and government implementation of such neoliberal policies has not only led to deaths and deprivation, but also exacerbated inequalities. This roundtable examines how politics and economics have shaped these COVID-19 outcomes and explores the possibilities and pathways to an alternative politics of care. Taking lessons from the pandemic, speakers will discuss alternative notions of self-care, alternative ways of organizing society that prioritises care, how marginalised voices can challenge norms around care, and ways to participate in a radical politics of care.

Michael Albert is an organizer, publisher, teacher and author of over twenty books. He co-founded South End Press, Z Magazine, the Z Media Institute, and ZNet. He is the author, with Robin Hahnel, of the economic vision named Participatory Economics.

Lucy Burke is based in the Manchester Institute for Arts, Health and Social Justice at Manchester Metropolitan University; she is a Co-Investigator on the AHRC funded D4D project (Disability and Community: Dis/engagement, Dis/enfranchisement, Dis/parity and Dissent) and consultant on the Arts Council England Transforming Leadership project working with learning disabled actors and directors at Access All Areas.

 The Care Collective was formed in 2017, originally as a London-based reading group aiming to understand and address the multiple and extreme crises of care. Each coming from a different discipline, we have been active both collectively and individually in diverse personal, academic and political contexts. Members include Andreas Chatzidakis, Jamie Hakim, Jo Littler, Catherine Rottenberg, and Lynne Segal.

Dr Jalana Harris (Columbia University) is a specialist in clinical social work who has dedicated her career towards the social, emotional, and psychological development of traditionally oppressed populations. She is a full-time lecturer at Columbia University’s School of Social Work and operates a private practice in NYC; she is a Licensed Psychotherapist, Certified Hypnotherapist, Certified Life Coach and Consultant.