Christmas-party season has begun. We spend the evening with like-minded colleagues: celebrating the care work that is done in the community. Taking a moment to care for one another. To acknowledge. Community-building takes a lot of energy and requires a lot of labour — feminized labour — and the women and men who take on this work come together occasionally to recognize one another.  So important as a mission. So meaningful to the people who engage in this work and who are on its receiving end. So devalued as a labour force. It makes one question what is valued in our culture. Our backwards and upside down metrics. Alas. On the upside, the only place to go from here is up. It seems–or at least I hope–this is our cultural rock-bottom. At some point, we will need to come together and think seriously about what works (and for who) and what doesn’t (and for who), and to reconsider the social order and our associated values.

(Image: Two people facing each other on ice-covered water, sourced from Pexels.com)

CareCare WorkChristmasChristmas PartiesCommunitiesCommunityCommunity BuildingCultureFeminized LabourMetricsSocial OrderValuesWomenWomen's Labour