ABSTRACT
After decades, if not centuries, of neglect, the concepts of care and caring have become central to contemporary social thought. While essential for human existence, approaches to providing care change over time. As the core concepts signify activities, ideals and phenomena that are inherently value based, their meaning and character remain contested, making them difficult to define and analyze. It is, nonetheless, increasingly vital to understand their meaning and significance as terms and, even more importantly, as forms of action and as relationships.
