KQED's Forum Forum from the Archives: Alison Gopnik and Anne-Marie Slaughter on Why We’re Not Paying Enough Attention to Caregiving
Jul 9, 2025
In this enlightening discussion, Alison Gopnik, a psychology professor at UC Berkeley, and Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America, explore the often-overlooked world of caregiving. They emphasize the universal yet invisible nature of caregiving and its critical role in human development. The conversation highlights the need for systemic support and policy changes to acknowledge caregivers, particularly women and immigrants. Through personal anecdotes, they advocate for rethinking the societal value placed on caregiving roles, fostering a more compassionate community.
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Caregiving's Profound Human Role
- Caregiving is a universal human act but remains invisible and undervalued in economics and politics.\n- It plays a profound role in human cooperation and the development of distinctive human capacities.
Caregiving Unites Communities
- Caregiving fosters community and connection, bringing people together across social and political divides.\n- Supporting caregiving can unify diverse groups through shared values about family and care.
Raise Value of Care Work
- We must value traditional women's caregiving work as much as traditional men's work.\n- This shift benefits everyone by enabling men and women to share caregiving roles fairly.
