18. Care et travail du care dans une perspective comparative : Brésil, France, Japon

This paper studies differences and similarities in care and care work between Brazil, France and Japan. In spite of divergent national contexts, the three countries face the serious problem of caring for their aging populations. The authors analyze the configurations of care and the distribution of care work by studying the respective roles of labor market, public policy, family, social networks and non-profit organizations. The authors point out the similarities observed in the three countries: it is mostly women who provide care labor; their wages as well as their career perspective are low and their status is precarious. The authors insist on the blurred line between care work on the one hand and paid and non-paid domestic work on the other which makes it difficult for care work to gain the status of a specialized occupation.