Living with an Infected Planet : COVID-19 Feminism and the Global Frontline of Care

»We must declare war on the virus,« stated UN chief António Guterres on March 13, 2020, just two days after the WHO had characterized the outbreak of the novel Covid-19 virus as a pandemic. Elke Krasny introduces feminist worry in order then to develop a feminist cultural theory on pandemic frontline ontologies, which give rise to militarized care essentialism and forced heroism. Feminist hope is gained through the attentive reading of feminist recovery plans and their novel care feminism, with the latter''s insistence that recovery from patriarchy is possible.

»Wide-ranging and cross-disciplinary, this book is an important critical reflection on the militaristic language that frames public imaginaries of care in times of global health emergency.«

»Balancing feminist worry and hope, Elke Krasny''s rich book leaves the reader with a call for action as much as self-reflection on the Covid-19 pandemic as a crisis of care.«

»›Living with an Infected Planet‹ provides an astute analysis of the politics of the Covid-19 pandemic and the language through which it was framed. Elke Krasny reminds us that it matters what metaphors we invest in to give meaning to our worlds.«

»I was deeply moved by this thoughtful book''s trajectory from ›feminist worry‹ about the ubiquitous war metaphors to describe the pandemic to ›feminist hope‹ for a genuinely transformative recovery imagined as a new care feminism.«