Roundtable on Talia Schaffer’s Communities of Care

Karen Bourier, Sophia Hsu, and Adela Pinch, leading theorists of 19th century ethics, sentiment, disability, crowds, and collectives come together to think about Talia Schaffer’s new book, Communities of Care. Schaffer argues that nineteenth-century fiction chronicles small voluntary social organizations forming around a person in need and that we can use these valuable case studies to help regulate our own collectives. Schaffer offers ‘care’ as a term for action rather than feeling, and ‘community’ as a fluid, egalitarian small group; Communities of Care also writes a new history of ideas of bodyminds before the medical model. Among other lines of inquiry, the panel may take up Schaffer’s recommendations for rethinking academic service, teaching, and research according to care community ideas. Speakers will offer brief responses, followed by a lively Q & A.