Who Cares? Book Summary

In 'Who Cares?', Joan C. Tronto explores the vital yet often overlooked domain of care in society, challenging the notion that care is merely a personal responsibility. She argues for the recognition of care as a fundamental social and political issue, essential for the functioning of communities and democracies. Through a critical lens, Tronto examines the implications of neglecting care, linking it to broader issues of justice and equity. This thought-provoking work invites readers to rethink their assumptions about caregiving, compassion, and the role of individuals in fostering a caring society. Will we rise to the challenge of making care a priority in our lives?

By Joan C. Tronto

Published: 2015

"Caring is not just an act, but a way of understanding our interconnections in the fabric of society, inviting us to reflect on whom we owe our attention and how we can reshape our world through compassion."

Book Review of Who Cares?

The 2015 winner of the Brown Democracy Medal, Joan C. Tronto, argues in Who Cares? that we need to rethink American democracy, as well as our own fundamental values and commitments, from a caring perspective. Asserting that Americans are facing a "caring deficit"—that there are simply too many demands on our time to care adequately for children, elderly people, and ourselves—she asks us to reconsider how we allocate care responsibilities. At the same time, while democratic politics should help citizens to care better, most people see caring as unsupported by public life and deem the concerns of politics as too remote from their lives to make a difference in this sphere. Tronto traces the reasons for this disconnect and argues for the need to make care, not economics, the central concern of democratic political life.

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Caring is not just an act, but a way of understanding our interconnections in the fabric of society, inviting us to reflect on whom we owe our attention and how we can reshape our world through compassion.

Who Cares?

By Joan C. Tronto