Introduction to the Special Issue : “Right to Care” and the “Right Not to Care”

: Breaking Away from Obligatory Care as a Family Member

Abstract

We held the Japan Association for Social Policy Studies （JASPS） 147th Conference on the 7-8th of October 2023 and discussed the theme―“Right to Care” and the “Right Not to Care” : Breaking Away from Obligatory Care as a Family Member―as our conference plenary session. This article will explain the context and intention.

Despite struggles by welfare states against care issues and issues of providing them, several systems and structures have been developed in their social policies. While family members and the community have been providing care for people who need it, for example, older adults, children, and people with disabilities, they have had many difficulties with it. A welfare state is required to secure the providing of care for them.

However, the violation of rights related care issues, particularly the rights of care-givers, has not been duly appraised. Especially, in Japan, obligatory care by family members has covered them. I will attempt to reframe policies and systems for providing care from the view of the rights of the care-giver and care-user. This explanation will lead to discussions by four speakers about the current picture of such violations of rights and the concept of obligations of care.