Annette Kamp, Roskilde University

Hanne Marlene Dahl, Roskilde University

Agnete Meldgaard Hansen, Roskilde University

New technologies, such as telecare-systems, robots, tracking- and sensor-technologies are increasingly introduced in the health and social care sector in both the Nordic and other European countries. This development forms part of a new wave of welfare state reforms focusing on person-centered care, empowerment and retrenchment through increasing citizen/client involvement in – and responsibility for – their own care.

In practice, these multiple political goals that also include dignified care, increased quality and efficiency often prove to be contradictory, and are translated in different ways when used to frame new care practices. These new practices typically allow for new forms of (self)- monitoring, surveillance and care at a distance through telecare systems; practices that potentially transform the character of care interactions between professionals and citizens/clients and may evoke questions of ethics (Pols, 2023). Additionally, new divisions of labour and of responsibility between citizens/clients, professionals and technologies may arise (e.g. Nicolini, 2007).

This development raises numerous issues and interesting avenues of research, and we invite contributions that critically explore both the policies and practices of technologically mediated care, as well as their interlinkages.

At policy level, we particularly invite contributions that explore ‘Socio-technical imaginaries’ (Jasanoff & Kim, 2015) or ‘political phantasms’ of technologically mediated care, and their role in connecting increased technology-use with these multiple political goals. At practice level, a broad range of transformations of care practices are emerging. Here, this thematic panel particularly invite contributions illuminating the transformation of care ideals and care relations, and the ethical tensions that may arise. Other avenues seeking to develop the study of new technologies in care work are also welcomed, just as we are happy to recieve both theoretical and empirical contributions.

Jasanoff, S., & Kim, S.-H. (2015). Dreamscapes of Modernity, Sociotechnical Imaginaries and the Fabrication of Power (S.-H. Jasanoff, Sheila; Kim (ed.)). University of Chicago Press.

Nicolini, D. (2007). Stretching out and expanding work practices in time and space: The case of telemedicine. Human Relations, 60(6), 889–920.

Pols, J. (2023). Reinventing the Good Life: An empirical contribution to the philosophy of care. UCL Press