照料经济的特征、价值与挑战:基于性别视角的审视

Characteristics,Value and Challenges of Care Work:A Gender Perspective

此次新冠肺炎疫情凸显了照料工作的特殊性和重要性,重新认识照料的价值尤为必要。本文阐述了照料供给的经济学相关问题,在阐述照料、照料工作等概念及特征的基础上,重点指出照料之价值所在及其对人类社会发展的重要性。本文亦从照料的经济特征指出照料惩罚存在之理论根源,就两类照料惩罚——家庭照料惩罚、有酬照料惩罚展开讨论,并就照料经济与性别平等之间的关系展开了探讨。本文认为,照料工作创造、发展和维护了人类能力,是整个经济乃至人类社会发展的基础,对长期经济增长具有至关重要的作用。但由于照料的经济学外部性特征,其价值往往被低估,引致照料惩罚;照料惩罚也往往与性别问题相互交织,加剧了性别不平等。我们应当认识到,对更大规模照料经济的公共投资有利于长期发展,必须以更公平的方式分配社会再生产成本,才能让所有人都从中获益。

The uniqueness and importance of care work has been highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic and it is the time to re-define and re-recognize the value of care work.This paper elaborates the economics related issues of care supply.Based on the concepts and characteristics of care and care work,it focuses on the value of care and the importance of care to human being and the development of society.From the economic features of care behavior,the paper points out the theoretical origin of care penalty and discusses two types of care penalty and further discusses the relationship between care economy and gender equality.This paper holds that the care work creates,develops and maintains human capabilities,which are the basis of the development of the whole economy and even whole human society,and plays an important role in the long-term economic growth.However,due to the economic nature of care,its value is often underestimated and leads to care penalty,which is often intertwined with gender issues and thus aggravates gender inequality.We should recognize that public investment in care economy is positive and necessary for long-term development,and that we must distribute the costs of social reproduction in a more equitable way so that everyone can benefit from it.