Emma Garavaglia, Politecnico di Milano
Kate Hamblin, University of Sheffield
Grace Whitfield, University of Sheffield
Digital technology in social/ long-term care is often presented by policymakers and developers as a means to innovate, facilitate or even substitute some aspects of care work, and enhance the independence of people receiving care and support. Indeed, digital technology is often presented as the most efficient solution to the ‘care crisis’, especially in relation to the challenges facing long term care systems.
Yet the varied ways in which diverse technologies are used in care systems, arrangements and relationships are underplayed, as are the uneven distribution of technological resources, with benefits and risks experienced differently across populations both receiving and providing care. The use of technology in care systems and arrangements also raises important issues regarding rights, such as the right to privacy, and the related risk of surveillance. Further, it raises questions as to what defines ‘care’ – and rights to care – when physical support is interwoven with ‘virtual’, disembodied interventions.
As technological advances are made and new devices and systems are introduced into care systems, arrangements and relationships, existing frameworks designed to provide protection become increasingly misaligned with these new issues of rights, risks and uneven resources.
In this panel, we would like to invite paper submissions that critically reflect on these changes. We are interested in submissions that consider issues of rights in care contexts – both how they can be enhanced but also put at risk – with consideration to issues of intersectional inequalities and inequity in outcomes and resources. Contributions should reflect on the conference core dimensions, for example by considering the role of digital technology in:
- Care systems and care policy
- Social and policy innovation
- Care markets
- Formal and informal care arrangements and practices
- Care relationships and the lived experience of receiving and providing care