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Means without ends: justifying supportive home care for frail older people in Canada, 1990–2010
Author(s) -
Ceci Christine,
Purkis Mary Ellen
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
sociology of health and illness
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1467-9566
pISSN - 0141-9889
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9566.2011.01344.x
Subject(s) - position (finance) , older people , sociology , gerontology , public relations , psychology , political science , nursing , medicine , business , finance
The challenges associated with ageing populations are very much on the policy and research agenda of many nations, with significant discussions focused on establishing appropriate, acceptable parameters of home care for those who are older and frail. This paper develops an analysis of changing justifications of home care in Canada (1990–2010) through examination of governmental and non‐governmental home care policy documents and position papers, as well as observations from recent fieldwork in home care. Boltanski and Thévenot’s sociology of justification provides a framework for analysis of these situations where competing and irreducible pluralities of goods complicate discussions of the ‘right’ way to proceed.