Care work, gender inequality and technological advancement in the age of COVID-19

COVID-19 has created a challenge and opportunity to change collective economic and care systems. While the care deficit that confronts the UK pre-dates the pandemic, contemporary events have made it clear that care is a foundational element of a safe, functioning society. Building on research that shows new technologies are being used to augment the work of paid carers in nations facing labour shortages, funding constraints and hostility to immigration, this article considers the potential for technological developments to change care practices, including during this unprecedented crisis. Using a qualitative research approach, the article opens up new questions about established systems of paid and unpaid care and evaluates the potential for technological investments to remedy the weakened care infrastructure in a post-COVID-19 environment. In doing so, it emphasizes the sensory dimensions of care, which will need to be addressed in how governments in the UK and beyond respond to technological developments.