Abstract
Once we consider the social organization of care in Latin America, would it be appropriate to recognize a “care crisis”, as coined in the literature on the Global North? Or shall we recognize that a long crisis of social reproduction has been into place, in countries where the commodification of care occurs under weak externalization of care activities, high inequality, extreme poverty levels, and scarce welfare policies? How did the SARS-COVID 19 pandemic impact such a scenario? Understanding the specificities of care regime and care crisis requires exploring the different meanings associated to care practices and care circuits, and its specificities in poor and unequal countries; based on evidence taken from the Brazilian case, the text documents how long and diverse the so-called “care crisis” has been. Finally, it explores how the pandemic challenged that modality of social organization of care, reframing the relationship between care and crisis.
Keywords
Care; Crisis; Social reproduction; Pandemics; Brazil