In Moral Boundaries Joan C. Tronto provides one of the most original responses to the controversial questions surrounding women and caring. Tronto demonstrates that feminist thinkers have failed to realise the political context which has shaped their debates about care. It is her belief that care cannot be a useful moral and political concept until its traditional and ideological associations as a "women's morality" are challenged. Moral Boundaries contests the association of care with women as empirically and historically inaccurate, as well as politically unwise. In our society, members of unprivileged groups such as the working classes and people of color also do disproportionate amounts of caring. Tronto presents care as one of the central activites of human life and illustrates the ways in which society degrades the importance of caring in order to maintain the power of those who are privileged.

First Published in 1993. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

In Moral Boundaries Joan C. Tronto provides one of the most original responses to the controversial questions surrounding women and caring. Tronto demonstrates that feminist thinkers have failed to realise the political context which has shaped their debates about care. It is her belief that care cannot be a useful moral and political concept until its traditional and ideological associations as a "women's morality" are challenged. Moral Boundaries contests the association of care with women as empirically and historically inaccurate, as well as politically unwise. In our society, members of unprivileged groups such as the working classes and people of color also do disproportionate amounts of caring. Tronto presents care as one of the central activites of human life and illustrates the ways in which society degrades the importance of caring in order to maintain the power of those who are privileged.

The question of responsibility plays a critical role not only in our attempts to resolve social and political problems, but in our very conceptions of what those problems are. Who, for example, is to blame for apartheid in South Africa? Is the South African government responsible? What about multinational corporations that do business there? Will uncovering the "true facts of the matter" lead us to the right answer? In an argument both compelling and provocative, Marion Smiley demonstrates how attributions of blame—far from being based on an objective process of factual discovery—are instead judgments that we ourselves make on the basis of our own political and social points of view. She argues that our conception of responsibility is a singularly modern one that locates the source of blameworthiness in an individual's free will. After exploring the flaws inherent in this conception, she shows how our judgments of blame evolve out of our configuration of social roles, our conception of communal boundaries, and the distribution of power upon which both are based. The great strength of Smiley's study lies in the way in which it brings together both rigorous philosophical analysis and an appreciation of the dynamics of social and political practice. By developing a pragmatic conception of moral responsibility, this work illustrates both how moral philosophy can enhance our understanding of social and political practices and why reflection on these practices is necessary to the reconstruction of our moral concepts.

Michèle Lamont takes us into the world inhabited by working-class men--the world as they understand it. Interviewing black and white working-class men who, because they are not college graduates, have limited access to high-paying jobs and other social benefits, she constructs a revealing portrait of how they see themselves and the rest of society. Morality is at the center of these workers' worlds. They find their identity and self-worth in their ability to discipline themselves and conduct responsible but caring lives. These moral standards function as an alternative to economic definitions of success, offering them a way to maintain dignity in an out-of-reach American dreamland. But these standards also enable them to draw class boundaries toward the poor and, to a lesser extent, the upper half. Workers also draw rigid racial boundaries, with white workers placing emphasis on the "disciplined self" and blacks on the "caring self." Whites thereby often construe blacks as morally inferior because they are lazy, while blacks depict whites as domineering, uncaring, and overly disciplined. This book also opens up a wider perspective by examining American workers in comparison with French workers, who take the poor as "part of us" and are far less critical of blacks than they are of upper-middle-class people and immigrants. By singling out different "moral offenders" in the two societies, workers reveal contrasting definitions of "cultural membership" that help us understand and challenge the forms of inequality found in both societies.

Many people fear that science, in the form of genetics and evolutionaryiology, will show that everything we hold most dear is illusory or shameful.orality will prove to be disguised selfishness; our choices will be shown toe driven by instincts; our reasoning will prove to be constrained by ouriology. This book argues that these fears are groundless. Our morality, likeur emotions and our abilities, is indeed the product of evolution, but thisoes not make it illusory. Nor should we conclude, as so many psychologistsnd biologists have done, that our morality is reducible to our biologicalnstincts. Instead, properly understood, the evidence from the sciencesupports the view that the moral capacities we have are capable ofeassessing the very processes which gave birth to them, condemning theiological selfishness in which they had their origin. Human nature is aumane nature, at least in all the ways that matter, and understanding ourrigins ought to make us marvel at it all the more.

The boundaries of the therapeutic relationship are a crucial part of effective therapy. But understanding them, and the effects of power and responsibility, can be intimidating to trainee or newly-qualified therapists. This book will take step by step through everything they need to know to work ethically and safeguard the wellbeing of both themselves and their clients. It tackles: · Contracting and the importance of negotiating and clarifying boundaries with clients · The implications and limits of maintaining confidentiality · Keeping clear sexual boundaries, and how to work around issues safely and appropriately · What happens when circumstances change, and everyday or serious disruptions occur to therapy · The nature of the therapist’s power, and how to employ it responsibly to a client’s benefit Packed with case studies, ethical dilemmas and points for reflection and discussion, this is an essential read for trainee practitioners and qualified therapists looking to ensure safe and ethical practice.