“Would you like the idea of robot caregiving to your ageing parents?” Theory of care and a technological boundary in caregiving

• In Event: Caring across Borders: Materiality and Belonging in Transnational Families II

Abstract

With the rapidly ageing population worldwide, there has been an urgent call for technological interventions to tackle issues associated with it. A variety of technologies has been in place to assist old individuals to live safely, comfortably, healthily and independently for as long as possible. The public has held high expectation towards (bio)medical technologies to treat age-related health issues. With advanced information technology (e.g. ‘smart technologies’) old people’s safety inside a house can be monitored remotely. Moreover, social networking sites possibly help reduce levels of loneliness caused by isolation among elderly people through ‘connecting with others’ online. However, when it comes to robotics technologies, discussion turns into a negative tone. While robotics engineers have being seeking a potential of robots being positively contributing ageing society, elderly care in particular, discussion of unethicalness surrounding utilising robots in care settings is always raised (e.g. Sparrow and Sparrow, 2006). This paper focuses on a technological ‘boundary’ in providing care and discusses how robots could be of good assistance in elderly care. Drawing on sociological theory of care, the concept of commodification of care, the law of robotics and culturally shaped perceptions of robots along with examining case studies of robot use in (aged) care settings in Japan, the U.S. and Europe, it endeavours to explore collective ethics and seek a possibility of robot use in elderly care through sociological perspectives.

Author

• Maho Omori, National Ageing Research Institute