(Dis)articulated by care: Labor trajectories of Chilean women

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the experience of care work in the labor trajectories of Chilean women, considering age and educational level. To this end, we interviewed fifty professional and non-professional women, aged between 24 and 88, and living in Santiago, Chile. The results show different types of care and their relationships with labor trajectories, through: a) changes in type of work, b) exits and re-entries, c) permanent retirements, and d) lack of interest in maternity. We highlight the role of care in women’s lives, which can lead to both satisfaction and guilt. We conclude that traditional gender roles persist in a cultural system that limits the social management of care and that places its responsibility on women.