In this essay the authors argue that care work itself has distinctive characteristics that help explain the economic vulnerability of those who provide it. The analysis explicitly links feminist theory with “new institutionalist” approaches within economic theory. The authors write that most of the interdisciplinary feminist literature on care engages with economic theory primarily to criticize it, while mainstream economics remains largely unconcerned with such issues. Defining “new institutionalist” economics quite broadly, the authors emphasize the ways that values, norms and preferences help coordinate individual decisions.
