political

RELATIONAL CARING: A SOFT VOICE IN TRANSFORMING SOCIETY

Online booklaunch of the recently published book Relational Caring and Presence Theory in Health Care and Social Work: A Care-Ethical Perspective, elaborating the thesis that no form of care, help, or support can do without a relational core, with the risk that seekers of help feel abandoned. Continue reading RELATIONAL CARING: A SOFT VOICE IN TRANSFORMING SOCIETY

Problem or “mystery” in Care and Social Work?

Social professionals’ view of the good life and vulnerability determines what is seen as a problem and how it is tackled. The French philosopher Gabriel Marcel proposes the notion of “mystery” as an alternative to thinking in terms of problems.
Our editors Silke Jacobi and Ivonne Hoen attended a symposium (1) questioning the problem- and solution-oriented approach in social work getting in the way of the social worker’s “knowing”. They regard this a topical issue, in the symposium related to the phenomenological “mystery” notion of Gabriel Marcel (1889-1973).

Continue reading Problem or “mystery” in Care and Social Work?

Through the Eye of the Needle. Next steps for care ethics

Between 2014 and 2020, care ethicist Frans Vosman († 2020) wrote several articles in which he explained the need for next steps within care ethics. Some of these were mentioned in our introduction to his article Taking Refuge in the Arts (Vosman, 2016). We now add another article.
Continue reading Through the Eye of the Needle. Next steps for care ethics

From cancer one may sometimes die. Yet no one speaks about that anymore

Medical-technical innovations are great, but they often suppress a conversation about pain and suffering says Tessa Roberts-Smorenburg, care ethicist at the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital Amsterdam (NL) Continue reading From cancer one may sometimes die. Yet no one speaks about that anymore