Women and the cooperative provision of care: The example of the 'Fukushi Club' in Japan

The provision of personal care has become a critical problem for industrial countries. The care crisis particularly affects women as the main providers of care and the main receivers of care among the elderly. This paper looks at a model of cooperative care provided by the Fukushi Club, set up by the Seikatsu Club Consumers' Cooperative in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It asks whether the Fukushi Club is successful in its aims of empowering both care receiver and care provider; recognizing the 'shadow work' of women in the provision of care; and establishing a sustainable model of cooperative care.