Care as an inequality-creating phenomenon: an intersectional analysis of the care practices of young female carers in Istanbul

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores care as an inequality-creating phenomenon pertaining to the position of young female carers. Engaging the normative theory of Nancy Fraser on ‘participatory parity’ as a framework for equality, an intersectional analysis of childcare practices of young female carers reveals inequalities that cut across class and gender, and given the focus on young carers, age is incorporated as a third social category. The experiences of sibling care practices of older daughters are explored in the familialist institutional and cultural setting of Istanbul, where the gendered identity of the young carer is constructed, and the childhood participation is shaped in relation to the care work. Driving on the empirical study conducted in Istanbul, the article aims to build the link between the normative theory of equality and intersectional analysis of care family care practices of young female carers. The article argues that care emerges as an inequality-creating phenomenon that cuts across not just gender and class but also age in cases where the participatory parity is hindered.