Caregivers with diverse actions and orientations: putting the expression of caregivers in France and Japan in perspective

Abstract

This article analyzes caregivers’ narratives in France and Japan from a comparative perspective. After reproducing institutional elements of the perspective of the two situations, the article focuses on showing the heuristic value of a qualitative comparison, presenting the difficulties as well. Caregivers’ language is analyzed through the implementation of a two-axis orientation concept: the mobilization of their resources and the evaluation of care organization. This positioning of caregivers reveals four distinct poles that allow us to draw proximity between caregivers beyond national contexts and the difference in the situations of cared persons.