Women and Caring:

Abstract

Adopting a symbolic interactionist perspective, this paper examines what the caring experience means to women. Drawing upon data obtained from in-depth interviews with 142 elderly women, the analysis presents an interpretation of caring as a route to self-meaning. It is argued that caring can be a meaningful component of self-identity. Moreover, these data show that the caring role can be a source of self-continuity in later life as it is a role that can last a lifetime. In contrast to the psychological view, which suggests that caring is a naturally feminine activity, it is argued in this paper that women learn to care through a socialization process wherein girls learn from their mothers and others that caring is women's work.