Collective caregiving practices during childhood: Dynamics, debates and tensions

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the caregiving initiatives, undertaken and organized in A Coruña by the parents themselves, which transcend the public and private options available in the area. The results are based on a qualitative research project carried out in 2018 and 2019, using document analysis techniques, observation, in-depth interviews and discussion workshops between the researchers and participants. Specifically, we recorded the stories and accounts of 15 people who participated in caregiving activities based primarily on mutual collaboration in child-rearing tasks and management. This document explores the emergence of these social practices which have encouraged the collective politicization of caregiving, the philosophy behind these practices and the internal debates and contradictions that arise.