Take care of yourselves! BarCamp on care, politics and networking on 30 June 2018 in Munich

Research network "ForGenderCare" strengthens the visibility of care policy initiatives. Article in the Perspectives series by Katja Schmidt(article as PDF) [caption id="attachment_3328" align="alignnone" width="262"] Source: https://kuemmerteuchbarcamp.org © Ivan Sizov[/caption] Care affects all people and is one of the existential prerequisites of every life. Our society is currently undergoing a profound transformation that is closely interwoven with the general and, in Germany, particularly striking social change from an industrial society to a globalised and accelerated service and knowledge economy. This change also has a significant impact on the organisation of care work. The research network "Gender and Care - Dynamics of Care in the Context of Institutions, Practice, Technology and Media in Bavaria" examines care as an object of political, media, historical and, last but not least, individual and family organisation. After almost three years of intensive joint work, cross-connections have emerged that both specify the original project of analysing gender and care in an intertwined manner and place it in a broader, socially relevant framework: For example, questions about the "good life", the quality of life, pervade the projects throughout. To what extent do current concepts of gainful employment and care work need to be rethought in order to do justice to the positioning of care between public and private, economised and intimate, vital and discarded? After all, the stated care crisis is ultimately a crisis of social and gender policy framework conditions. This connection is particularly evident in the example of paid care work, which is characterised by economisation processes, minute care and flat-rate treatment standards as well as precarious employment, the expansion of a low-wage sector and a blatant shortage of skilled workers. Despite the increasing demand for nursing staff, few employees are using their organisational and negotiating power, instead compensating for the lack of regulation and equipment in the care system with enormous additional efforts that are fed by a subjective sense of responsibility. However, in recent months and years, the underlying framework conditions have increasingly been successfully publicised: These include trade union industrial action such as the Charité strike in Berlin, which is accompanied by trend-setting support from civic support alliances, and the current collective bargaining campaign for more nursing staff in hospitals, as well as regional grassroots initiatives such as "Pflege am Boden" and the "Bundeweite Gefährdungsanzeige" campaignthey support, regular political talk shows during the election campaign arena and current debates on social networks, such as the hashtag #twitternwierueddel. These diverse levels and interventions point to two central aspects of the politicisation of care conditions. On the one hand, it can be asked what potential for disruption and change the representation of care workers' interests has in terms of labour policy. On the other hand, the conditions of paid and unpaid, domestic and family care work are closely interwoven and thus a broadly effective topic with a large number of protagonists. The Care Revolution Network, which brings together more than 70 initiatives and individuals with different political backgrounds, provides a picture of the various current and potential actors. In order to make the diverse actors visible and strengthen them through joint activities, such networking impulses are needed. On the initiative of the sub-project "Working conditions and representation of interests of care workers in Bavaria", which is based at the OTH Regensburg, and with the support of other members of the network, the systematic networking of and with practice partners is to be implemented. In cooperation with the Munich Adult Education Centre, the network is organising the Kümmert Euch! BarCamp in Munich on 30 June 2018. The central content is based on the following questions

• How can people working in the field of care, caring and caring for others take political action, become visible and support each other?
• What initiatives already exist?
• How can concrete actions and alliances be organised?
• How can we help shape the "good life" politically?
• What framework conditions are needed for this?

BarCamps focus on an intensive exchange of knowledge and networking activities and thus provide a basis for joint learning for people working in care, nursing, education and social policy. The BarCamp invites all people who receive or give care, whether professionally, on a voluntary basis or unpaid in private households, and who would like to work for greater visibility and recognition of care activities. The open BarCamp format supports this aim by allowing participants to design the programme themselves on site. A BarCamp begins with a short round of introductions of those present. Anyone can propose a session at the beginning - a workshop, lecture, presentation of an initiative, open space or something completely different. Discussion, getting to know each other and sharing experiences are just as possible as planning and developing specific projects together. Each session lasts approx. 45 minutes. The Barcamp invites all people who receive or give care, whether they work professionally, on a voluntary basis or unpaid in private households, because networking and visualisation are important in order to bring about change and shape future framework conditions in a needs-oriented way in the sense of a "good life for all". The event is free of charge and the venue is barrier-free. Due to the limited room capacity, registration is required (by 15 June 2018) and is now possible at barcamp@forgendercare.de or directly via the homepage www.kuemmerteuchbarcamp.org. We look forward to active participation and dissemination via social networks https://www.facebook.com/events/155597865170817/ mailing lists and in person.