Husbandry: A (Feminist) Reclamation of Masculine Responsibility for Care

While extremely important and revolutionary, much feminist work on the economics of care has risked reinforcing an association of care with only women and with only women’s traditional activities. This essay revives the image of “husbandry,†understood as careful cultivation, tending, and management, as a complement to the image of mothering. A rich masculine prototype of care may be helpful in re-awakening male responsibility for care, and revitalizing the recognition of the necessity of concern and carefulness in all of economic life. The ''good husbandman'', in stark contrast to “economic man,†lives a fuller life, acting responsively and responsibly. This essay lays out the need for such a rich image; suggests applications to the environment, carework, and business management; and addresses some possible drawbacks.