The Care Economy

Tim Jackson (University of Surrey, UK)

$113.95

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Polity Press
05 March 2025

Political economy; Health economics; History of medicine

Care is the foundation of organic life. But its fate in the economy is precarious and uncertain. The labour of care is arduous and underpaid. Yet without it health and vitality are impossible. Care itself ends up leading a curious dual life. In our hearts it’s honoured as an irreducible good. But in the market it’s treated as a second class citizen – barely recognised in the relentless rush for productivity and wealth.

How did we arrive in this dysfunctional place? And what can we do to change things? What would it mean to take health seriously as a societal goal? What would it take to adopt care as an organising principle in the economy?

Renowned ecological economist Tim Jackson sets out to tackle these questions in this timely and deeply personal book. His journey travels through the history of medicine, the economics of capitalism and the philosophical underpinnings of health. He unpacks the gender politics of care, revisits the birthplace of a universal dream and confronts the demons that prevent us from realising it.

Irreverent, insightful and profoundly inquisitive, The Care Economy offers a bold and accessible manifesto for a healthier and more humane society.

By: Tim Jackson (University of Surrey UK)
Imprint: Polity Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781509554287
ISBN 10: 1509554289
Pages: 342
Publication Date: 05 March 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Prologue 1 The Road to Hell 2 Euphoria 3 Vital Signs 4 The Myth of Care 5 No Good Deed 6 Passarelle 7 Shoot the Messenger 8 The Lost Generation 9 Care in the Time of Cholera 10 Pathogenesis 11 Death and the Maiden 12 Fuck the Patriarchy 13 Land’s End 14 Jenga 15 The Red Pill Acknowledgements Notes References

Tim Jackson is Director of the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP) and Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Surrey in the UK. For over three decades, he has pioneered research on the moral, economic and social dimensions of prosperity on a finite planet. His landmark book Prosperity without Growth (2009/2017) was a Financial Times book of the year, and UnHerd’s book of the decade. It appeared in 17 foreign language editions worldwide. In 2016, he was awarded the Hillary Laureate for exceptional international leadership in sustainability. In addition to his academic work, Tim is an award-winning dramatist with numerous radio-writing credits for the BBC.

Reviews for The Care Economy

""The Care Economy is a well-timed warning about the dire consequences of prioritising wealth over health and sacrificing happiness for growth. Jackson takes his reader on a fascinating journey, peppered with entertaining characters and colourful stories. But his message is deeply serious – as persuasive as it is challenging. A ‘must read’ for anyone who cares about the future. A book that could change the world."" Dr Michael Dixon CVO, OBE, FRCP (hon), FRCGP, Chair of the College of Medicine ""The Care Economy is a profoundly insightful and personal book with a powerful message: a new economics guided by care for people and planet is urgently needed. I applaud Tim Jackson and this manifesto for a healthy and sustainable world."" Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice and the Blade and The Real Wealth of Nations