Entre os cuidados e os cuidadores: o feminino na configuração da política de cuidados às pessoas idosas

Resumo

Three issues covered here are (1) The roots of the western culture with regard to woman's place in the shade of her home, the passage through the Middle Ages, and her entry into public sphre in the age of industrialization; (2) Through service-oriented employement the woman qualifies "naturally" for interpersonal relationships; (3) Some studies about the present-day conditions in Portugal.

Key-words: Women, western culture, services, industrialization.