84. Dilemmas of Care (Re) Allocation Care and Consumption in Pandemic Times

Heath, T., Gallage, S., Chatzidakis, A., & Hutton, M. (2025). Dilemmas of Care (Re) Allocation: Care and Consumption in Pandemic Times. Journal of Business Ethics, 199(3), 507–527. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-024-05829-2This article examines how the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped everyday consumption through the lens of care ethics. Drawing on twenty-eight in-depth interviews, it shows that the crisis exposed human vulnerability and intensified pressures on unpaid care work, revealing and deepening existing social inequalities. The disruption of daily routines blurred boundaries between home, work, and social spaces, forcing consumers—often women—to reorganize provisioning within compressed spatiotemporal constraints. This highlighted gendered expectations of care but also encouraged broader solidarities toward neighbors and local communities.The study distinguishes between ethical dilemmas, where individuals prioritized caring for close dependents even when their actions conflicted with broader moral concerns, and ideological dilemmas, where participants questioned dominant norms such as anthropocentrism, individualism, and patriarchal care arrangements. Overall, the findings challenge narrow views of “ethical consumption,” arguing instead for a more expansive political theory of care that recognizes consumption decisions as central to social justice and everyday citizenship.