An Ethnography of Care Work Across Borders : Foreign Intimacy

This ground-breaking ethnography illuminates the theory and practice of "aging in place" by examining the relationships between migrant live-in care workers of older people in Israel, and their local employers and family members.

Daniella Arieli begins her investigation with a discussion of her own experiences of employing a care worker from overseas for her mother and sets this book in its interdisciplinary context, while looking at how best to promote the health and wellbeing of both family members and carers. The two central sections of the book focus on narratives of care workers and family members, respectively, with topics such as trust and suspicion, intimacy and abuse, ambivalence and ambiguity, transnational familial relationships, personal transformations, and cultural differences discussed.

This book is an invaluable contribution to the literature on ageing and family relations, transnational care work and the movement of healthcare practitioners around the world. It is of interest to advanced students and scholars in the fields of nursing, anthropology, sociology, social work, geography, and gerontology.