Commodification and care: An exploration of workforces’ experiences of care in private and public childcare systems from a feminist political theory of care perspective

The study investigates how care is understood and experienced by kindergarten staff in regions with a more privatised system (Ontario, Canada) and a public system (Denmark). Through a feminist political care perspective, the study investigates the relationship between commercialisation and care practices, and how this relationship affects kindergarten teachers’ daily work with caring for children. The research question is: How is the care given by kindergarten employees conceptualised and experienced in areas with a more privatised (Ontario) versus a public (Denmark) kindergarten system?

The study revealed significant differences in how kindergarten teachers in Canada and Denmark experience care in the private and public sectors. In Denmark, there is a stronger emphasis on relational security and autonomy in care practices, while care in Ontario is often characterised by system requirements that disrupt educational autonomy. Both countries showed resistance to neoliberal trends, with kindergarten teachers and educators challenging demands for efficiency and measurable results that come at the expense of children’s relational experiences.

The study uses a feminist political care perspective as a theoretical framework, based on ethical theories that highlight relational care. The data collection is based on semi-structured interviews with kindergarten teachers in Ontario, Canada, and in Denmark. The interviews focused on participants’ experiences of care in private and public kindergarten systems. The data were analysed using a grounded theory approach, emphasising how care is experienced and practiced in light of systemic requirements and neoliberal trends, such as measuring learning outcomes and effectiveness.

Richardson, B. (2022). Commodification and care: An exploration of workforces’ experiences of care in private and public childcare systems from a feminist political theory of care perspective. Critical Social Policy, 42(1), 107–128