Careful Economics: Integrating Caring Activities and Economic Science

Preface. Acknowledgements. Part I: 1. Aim and scope of the work. Sketching the ground. The importance of caring as a subject for economic theorizing. Aim of the book. Structure of the book. 2. The analytical frame of reference. Basic characteristics of caring activities. Central conceptual assumptions. Part II: 3. Caring as the result of preferential choices. The conceptualization of caring in the utility-based concept of altruism. The concept of 'household or family commodities'. The scope of the concept. 4. Caring as the result of other choices. The conceptualization of caring within the economic concept of commitment. The scope of the concept. 5. Caring as the result of a caring motivation. The conceptualization of caring derived from motivation. The concept of integrative product. The scope of the concept. Part III: 6. Caring conceptualized as the result of an effective caring situation. The three components constituting an effective caring situation. Basic structures of caring situations. The analysis of caring institutions. 7. Asymmetries and dependencies in caring situations as central categories of analysis. Asymmetry in capabilities and existential dependency. Asymmetry in resource control and material dependency. Caring motivations and motivational barriers to exit. 8. Guidelines for the analysis of caring situations in economics. The integrated frame. Sensitive points in the coordination and institutionalization of caring situations. Directions for policy. References. Index.