Chapter 1: Care, Competency, and Knowledge

Many authors have lamented the contemporary existence of a social “crisis of care.” This crisis manifests itself differently depending upon the context. Author Madeleine Bunting (2016) declared on a recent BBC broadcast:

Bunting (2016) refers to a crisis of care delivery systems and caring labor. Crises of care have been variously declared in healthcare (Benner & Philips), in migration practice and policy (Benería, 2004), in education (Nod-dings, 1988), and in economic practices (Engster, 2007), to name a few examples. In each case, there is a perceived lack of human connection, nurturing, or meeting needs in times of vulnerability. Despite the general Western idealization of autonomy and independence, all humans are vulnerable beings who require significant care at various times in their lives to both survive and flourish. Claiming a “crisis” is a means for calling attention to an under-attended deficit of modernity. Yet, this crisis is not simply the lack of the existence of care or systems for delivering it, but can be also described as a deficiency of competent care. Without adequate competency, many actions delivered under the guise of care can be experienced as cold, indifferent, incomplete, perfunctory, bureaucratic, and generally unconcerned with the one cared for. Authentic care demands skilled responsiveness to the individual. What is suggested in this chapter is that competency is not simply a technical professionalism but also entails emotional intelligence, responsiveness, and inquiry—all elements of care. An expansive definition of the knowledge that supports professionalism is required in the face of a widespread crisis of deficient care. Understanding care as a professional competency also indicates a need for evaluation.