Sociology Human Services Review 1200words or less - Materials Provided - Essay Example

In the business of caring, the first phase – caring about - involves the recognition that there is a need to render care for somebody. Someone who is suffering from AIDS, for example, may be too debilitated in the latter stage of the disease to be able to do things on his own. At this stage, that person will need another to do things that he would have normally done personally like shopping for his basic needs, prepare his food, and do his laundry. The first stage of caring involves the recognition and understanding that the AIDS victim is helpless and needs caring – a stage called caring about that person.

The next stage called taking care of involves deciding and assuming the responsibility of taking care of a particular person in need of caring. In the illustration of the AIDS victim, the second stage would involve deciding to take on the responsibility of taking care of the needs of the victim like doing his grocery and shopping, preparing his food and helping him get on with the his daily basic chores. The third stage or care-giving involves the actual care being given to the person identified as needing care.

Thus, the person or group who has decided to assume the responsibility of helping the AIDS victim at this stage now actually and physically renders the necessary help. And the final stage which is care-receiving, involves the recognition and the acceptance of the object of the care of the care being rendered to him (Tronto 1993 pp196-107). Normally, the different caring phases come one after the other and interconnect smoothly. However, there may be instances and cases when these phases conflict with each other.

In the care of the aged for example, there are issues which complicate care for the aged although it is understood and accepted that these sector of society really need care. Some of these issues include the participation of the labor force and the maintenance of