Between charity, philanthropy, and social rights: Social representations of female care workers

Abstract

This article analyzes the social representations of female caregivers in terms of the care services provided in a residential facility for children and youth. Based on the concept of care work and the Theory of Social Representations, regulations and policies which govern the daily operations of this institution were identified aiming at understanding how they shape the work of caregivers, the meanings they attach to the work offered, and how they work with regard to their own feelings and motivations. Anchored in the identity and skills that are considered typically feminine and are widespread and culturally accepted in our society, the representations of the caregivers reveal contradictions in the care services provided in institutional facilities, whose intrinsic and subjective features can be either essential or go against the rules that regulate these services or even stimulate and promote a division of labor model that establishes a direct association between caregiving and feminine gender role.