Individualization, risk and the body. Sociology and care

No longer hidden in the home as a private problem, care and the human ser-vices are increasingly important public concerns in advanced societies. Care is also emerging as a significant field of social theory and enquiry with consider-able importance for the field of sociology. However, it remains a specialist topic rather than a central concern of the discipline. This article considers these developments and discusses the significance that recognizing the cen-tral place of care in social life might have for sociology. To understand what contemporary sociology might offer the study of care, in turn, I draw on the work of a number of leading contemporary theorists to identify four themes that have particular significance for the study of care: the body; individualiza-tion; risk; and the new organizational logics. The potential application of these four themes to the study of care is identified and a number of contemporary developments and future options considered