Abstract

As a feminist, I am committed to equality of condition between men and women, defined multidimensionally in terms of respect and recognition; resources; love, care and solidarity; power; and working and learning. I concentrate in this comment on equality in the affective system, i.e., the set of social relations that operates to meet people's needs for love, care and solidarity. A central problem for egalitarians is that recognising, valuing and supporting care work risks reinforcing the gendered division of labour, a problem of much wider remit than the issue of basic income. I argue, however, that basic income can be construed as recognising and supporting care work as a form of worthwhile but noncommodifiable activity and that this should be combined with confronting the division of labour culturally and ideologically. I cite recent empirical work on caregivers and care recipients in Ireland in support of my position.

Recommended Citation

Baker, John (2008) "All Things Considered, Should Feminists Embrace Basic Income?," Basic Income Studies: Vol. 3 : Iss. 3, Article 6.
DOI: 10.2202/1932-0183.1129
Available at: http://www.bepress.com/bis/vol3/iss3/art6