Simone Leiber, University of Duisburg-Essen
Hildegard Theobald, University of Vechta

The concept of intersectionality has become an important paradigm in gender and care studies. Instead of merely adding up discriminatory effects based on different structural categories, theorists of intersectionality underline the interwoven nature of these categories, and how they can mutually reinforce, but also counterbalance each other (Crenshaw 1989). The conception of intersectionality is often used to analyse the interdependence of class, gender, and ethnicity, but allows also for the integration of other socially defined categories like e.g. sexuality, age, health status, nationality or disability. Theoretical and methodological reasoning on intersectionality has significantly expanded in different disciplinary contexts. In particular (comparative) empirical studies are, however, rather rare, and methodological as well as theoretical discussions are all but completed.
In this thematic panel we seek to explicitly relate research discussions on intersectionality to the care field, and to questions of temporality in care. How do interactions between differentiating categories develop in a care situation? How do we measure and analyse inequalities in care through this analytical lens – be it from the perspective of formal or informal caregivers, or care recipients? What is the role of care policies in either reinforcing or counterbalancing such inequalities? These topics imply to take into account also important aspects of temporality in care. We assume, e.g., that the division of time for care and for work differs considerably according to class, gender, ethnicity and other social lines, and that intersectional inequalities evolve along the life-course.
The thematic panel seeks to enhance international exchange on theoretical or methodological questions, as well as empirical results on intersectionality in care. We invite (comparative) studies from different care fields (childcare, eldercare, self-care …), and different regional contexts across the world to enhance our knowledge.