O cuidado como elemento de sustentabilidade em situações de crise. Portugal entre o estado providência e as relações interpessoais

Abstract

Portugal is going through a socio-economic crisis which has led to increased pressure on social services. Faced with the reduced capacity of state care systems to continue providing support, people are (re)turning to informal ways of addressing the problem. During field work among middleclass families from Lisbon and Oporto, we witnessed how people simultaneously engage with both formal and informal care systems. The article discusses the ways in which informal practices are used to respond to crisis situations, thus contributing to social sustainability.