In the shadow of neoliberalism, the concept of care has undergone a profound transformation—one that has subtly yet powerfully reconfigured our relationships, communities, and even our sense of self. What was once a fundamental pillar of human connection and social cohesion is now increasingly viewed as an obstacle—a distraction from personal growth and economic productivity. This shift reflects a deeper, more insidious realignment of values and priorities shaped by the intertwined forces of ideology, structure, and psychology that define our current era.
The Neoliberal Reprogramming of Care: A Deep Structural Shift
Neoliberalism, with its pervasive emphasis on market logic, has altered how we engage with the economy—and infiltrated the very fabric of our social and personal lives. Care, traditionally rooted in empathy, reciprocity, and mutual support, is now redefined through the cold calculus of economic value. Political theorist Wendy Brown’s work in Undoing the Demos elucidates how neoliberalism transforms us into "homo economicus," where every action, including those deeply human acts of care, is recast as an economic transaction—its worth measured by its utility in the marketplace.
This is not a mere rhetorical shift; it represents a profound reprogramming of how we view ourselves and others. Neoliberalism has subtly disciplined us to prioritize economic efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness, in both our professional lives and our personal relationships. Care becomes fundamentally distorted, increasingly seen as a liability—something that detracts from our ability to compete and succeed in a market-driven world.
Care as a Market Commodity: The Dehumanization of Human Connection
In neoliberal society, care is commodified—transformed into a service that can be bought, sold, and optimized. This process strips care of its relational and emotional depth, reducing it to a transaction devoid of genuine human connection. commodifying care is deeply intertwined with the neoliberal myth of the self-made individual, a narrative that glorifies personal success as the ultimate achievement, while ignoring the indispensable role that care networks and communal support play in any individual’s life.
This commodification creates a false dichotomy between care and success. The market-driven narrative suggests that time spent caring for others is time lost—an inefficiency that hinders personal and professional growth. This perception is misguided—and dangerous, as it undermines the very social bonds that sustain communities and individuals alike.
Internalizing Market Values: The Subtle Discipline of Self-Optimization
The neoliberal restructuring of care is not limited to economic or social policy—it extends deep into our psyches. Through a process Michel Foucault describes as governmentality, neoliberalism disciplines us to internalize market values, turning them into personal virtues. This internalization creates a cognitive dissonance where the time, patience, and emotional energy required for care are seen as incompatible with the relentless demands of a market-driven life. We begin to view ourselves as projects to be managed, optimized, and made more efficient, often at the expense of our most basic human need for connection and support.
This internalization of market logic creates a distorted relationship with time itself. Neoliberalism imposes a temporal framework that prioritizes immediacy, growth, and constant productivity—values that are fundamentally at odds with the slow, unpredictable, and often immeasurable nature of care work. As a result, care is pushed to the margins, relegated to something that must be squeezed in around the edges of a life dominated by market imperatives.
The Atomization of Society: Eroding the Commons and Undermining Solidarity
Neoliberalism’s impact on care extends beyond the individual; it erodes the very structures that make collective care possible. By promoting policies that weaken social safety nets and dismantle collective institutions, neoliberalism produces an atomized society where individuals are increasingly isolated, left to navigate life’s challenges without communal support. This erosion of the commons—shared resources and spaces where care and mutual aid naturally occur—undermines the social bonds that are essential for resilience and solidarity.
As care grows more privatized, the opportunities for collective care diminish, further isolating individuals and reinforcing the neoliberal narrative that care is a personal burden rather than a shared responsibility. This atomization weakens social cohesion and creates fertile ground for hyper-individualism, where the needs of the community are subordinated to the desires of the individual.
The Gendered Burden and the Medicalization of Care: Deepening Inequalities
Neoliberalism’s reconfiguration of care is also deeply gendered, exacerbating existing inequalities and placing disproportionate burdens on women. The historical association of women with caregiving roles is intensified under neoliberalism, which often frames care as a natural, unpaid extension of women’s labor rather than a shared societal responsibility. This dynamic perpetuates gender disparities and contributes to medicalizing care, where complex social and emotional needs are reduced to individual health issues to be managed by professionals.
This medicalization of care strips it of its relational depth, reducing care to a set of services that can be commodified and outsourced. It reflects a broader trend within neoliberalism to pathologize and individualize issues that are, at their core, social and communal. By framing care as a medical or psychological problem, rather than a social one, neoliberalism further distances us from the collective responsibility of caring for one another.
Radical Alternatives: Rethinking Care from the Ground Up
Despite the profound challenges posed by neoliberalism, there are emerging frameworks that offer radical alternatives for how we might rethink and reorganize care. Feminist economists like J.K. Gibson-Graham advocate for a diverse economy that values non-market forms of care, bringing to light the vast, often invisible, economic activities that sustain our communities. Maria Puig de la Bellacasa extends the notion of care to include our relationships with technology, nature, and non-human life, pushing for more sustainable and ethical ways of living. Joan Tronto’s concept of "caring democracy" reimagines political life around an ethic of care, proposing governance structures rooted in our shared vulnerabilities and interdependencies.
These alternative frameworks challenge the neoliberal commodification of care, offering visions of a society where care is valued as a fundamental human practice, not as a market commodity. They emphasize the need to reorient our economic and social structures around care, rather than efficiency and profit, advocating for a more humane and just society.
Reclaiming Care: A Collective Responsibility, Not an Individual Burden
To counter the neoliberal devaluation of care, actively resisting the internalized market values that prioritize efficiency and productivity over connection and community. This requires restructuring our societal priorities, not just shifting individual attitudes. Care must be reclaimed as a collective responsibility, a shared commitment to one another that transcends the narrow confines of market logic.
Reimagining care as central to our lives and communities is about rebuilding the social bonds that neoliberalism has eroded, fostering a society where care is valued as the foundation of human connection and resilience. This reclamation of care is a radical reimagining of what our society could be—a society where care is recognized as a source of collective strength, not a personal liability.
Intersectionality and Inclusive Care: Broadening the Scope
Care does not exist in a vacuum; it is shaped by the intersecting identities and experiences of those who give and receive it. While gender is a significant factor, consider how race, class, ability, and other identities intersect with the neoliberal restructuring of care. An intersectional approach is essential to understanding the full impact of neoliberalism on care and to developing strategies that address the diverse needs and challenges of marginalized communities.
This intersectional analysis broadens our understanding of care, highlighting the ways in which different forms of oppression compound the burdens of care and revealing the potential for solidarity across lines of difference. By embracing an intersectional approach to care, we can build more inclusive and equitable systems that truly reflect the diversity of human experience.
Empathy, Community, and Real-World Praxis: Learning from the Ground
The theoretical critique of neoliberalism’s impact on care must be grounded in real-world praxis. Across the globe, we see examples of community-based care initiatives that succeed where market-driven systems have failed. Mutual aid networks, grassroots health cooperatives, and other forms of collective care demonstrate that care can thrive outside of neoliberal constraints. These examples are not exceptions—they are vital blueprints for how we might begin to reimagine care on a broader scale.
These grassroots initiatives reveal the potential for care to be re-centered as a collective practice, one that is rooted in empathy, solidarity, and mutual support. They offer a powerful counter-narrative to the neoliberal story of care as a burden, showing instead that care is a source of resilience, creativity, and community.
A call to action for a caring society
The ongoing effort to reimagine care offers a transformative vision for society—one that directly challenges the commodification and privatization of care under neoliberalism. By embracing new ways of valuing and practicing care, we can create more just, sustainable, and humane communities. In such a society, care is not seen as a liability but as a vital source of resilience and connection, essential for both individual fulfillment and collective well-being.
Realizing this vision means engaging in collective care initiatives, support policies that build community resilience, and challenge the neoliberal norms that devalue care. Rethinking societal structures, economic systems, and personal priorities, making care central to both our public and private lives. This isn't just about policy changes—it's about a cultural shift that redefines success, resilience, and fulfillment in ways that honor our shared humanity.
Only by reclaiming care as a fundamental human value and collective responsibility can we begin to heal the deep fractures within our society, creating a future where care is not seen as a liability, but as the cornerstone of a just, equitable, and thriving community.