Research, debate and policy on young carers has been welcomed by the carers movement and children's rights practitioners alike, but challenged by some disability rights authors who suggest defining the children of disabled parents as 'young carers' serves to undermine both the rights of disabled people and the rights of children. Among those putting forward this view are Jenny Morris and Lois Keith (Critical Social Policy, 1995, Issue 44/45). Here, we respond to the disability rights critique on behalf of academics working in the field of young carers, policy-makers and practitioners and, more importantly, on behalf of children who care.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Aldridge, J. and Becker, S. (1993a) Children Who Care: Inside the World of Young CarersLoughborough University: Young Carers Research Group .
2.
Aldridge, J. and Becker, S. (1993b) 'Punishing Children for Caring', Children and Society7(4): 277-88.
3.
Aldridge, J. and Becker, S. (1994a) A Friend Indeed: The Case for Befriending Young CarersLoughborough University: Young Carers Research Group.
4.
Aldridge, J. and Becker, S. (1994b) My Child My Carer: The Parents' PerspectiveLoughborough University: Young Carers Research Group.
5.
Baldwin, S. and Twigg, J. (1991) 'Women and Community Care: Reflections on a Debate' , in M. Maclean and D. Groves (eds) Women's Issues in Social Policy.London: Routledge .
6.
Becker, S. (ed.) (1995a) Young Carers in Europe: An Exploratory Cross-National Study in Britain, France, Sweden and Germany.Loughborough University: Young Carers Research Group, in association with the European Research Centre.
7.
Becker, S. (1995b) 'Young Carers in Britain: Research, Policy and Practice', in Social Services Inspectorate Young Carers: Something to Think AboutLondon: Department of Health .
8.
Becker, S. and Aldridge, J. (1994) 'The Rights and Wrongs of Children who Care', in B. Franklin (ed.) Children's Rights: A Handbook of Comparative Policy and Practice.London: Routledge.
9.
Bilsborrow, S. (1992) 'You grow up fast as well...' Young Carers on MerseysideCarers National Association, Personal Services Society and Barnardos.
10.
Bryman, A. (1988) Quantity and Quality in Social ResearchLondon: Unwin Hyman.
11.
Bryman, A. (1989) Research Methods and Organization StudiesLondon: Unwin Hyman.
12.
Dalley, G. (1988) Ideologies of Caring: Rethinking Community and CollectivismBasingstoke: Macmillan .
13.
Dearden, C. and Becker, S. (1995a) The National Directory of Young Carers Projects and InitiativesLoughborough University: Young Carers Research Group and Carers National Association.
14.
Dearden, C. and Becker, S. (1995b) Young Carers: The FactsSutton : Reed Business Publishing.
15.
Dearden, C., Becker, S. and Aldridge, J. (1994) Partners in Caring: A Briefing for Professionals About Young CarersLoughborough University: Young Carers Research Group, in association with Carers National Association and Crossroads UK.
16.
Finch, J. and Groves, D. (1980) 'Community Care and the Family: A Case for Equal Opportunities?', Journal of Social Policy9(4): 487-511.
17.
Frank, J. (1995) Couldn't Care More: A Study of Young Carers and Their NeedsLondon: The Children's Society.
18.
Grimshaw, R. (1991) Children of Parents with Parkinson's Disease: A Research Report for the Parkinson's Disease SocietyLondon : National Children's Bureau.
19.
Grossberg, L. (1995) 'Cultural Studies vs Political Economy: Is Anybody Else Bored with this Debate?', Critical Studies in Mass Communication12: 72-87.
20.
Honigmann, J.J. (1970) 'Sampling in Ethnographic Fieldwork', in R. Naroll and R. Cohen (eds) Handbook of Method in Cultural Anthropology .New York: Columbia University Press.
21.
Johnson, J.C. (1990) Selecting Ethnographic Informants. A Sage University PaperNewbury Park, CA: Sage.
22.
Keith, L. (1992) 'Who Cares Wins? Women, Caring and Disability' , Disability, Handicap and Society7(2): 167-75.
23.
Mahon, A. and Higgins, J. (1995) '... A Life of Our Own' Young Carers: An Evaluation of Three RHA Funded Projects in MerseysideManchester: Health Services Management Unit.
24.
Marsden, R. (1995) Young Carers and EducationLondon: Borough of Enfield, Education Department.
25.
Meredith, H. (1991) 'Young Carers: The Unacceptable Face of Community Care', Social Work and Social Sciences Review Supplement to Vol. 3, pp 47-51.
26.
Meredith, H. (1992) 'Supporting the Young Carer', Community Outlook2(5): 15-18.
27.
Morris, J. (1991/2) '"Us" and "Them"? Feminist Research, Community Care and Disability', Critical Social Policy , 33: 22-39.
28.
Morris, J. (1993) Independent Lives?, Community Care and Disabled PeopleLondon: Macmillan.
29.
Morris, J. (1995) 'Easy Targets: A Disability Rights Perspective on the "Young Carers" Debate', paper delivered at a conference organized by the Social Services Inspectorate (reproduced in Social Services Inspectorate, Young Carers: Something to Think About, Department of Health.
30.
Morris, J. and Keith, L. (1995) 'Easy Targets: A Disability Rights Perspective on the "Children as Carers" Debate', Critical Social Policy44/45: 36-57.
31.
Olsen, R. (1996) 'Young Carers: Challenging the Facts and Politics of Research into Children and Caring', Disability and Society11(1): 41-54.
32.
Parker, G. and Olsen, R. (1995) 'A Sideways Glance at Young Carers', paper delivered at a conference organized by the Social Services Inspectorate in Leicester, June 27 (reproduced in Social Services Inspectorate, Young Carers: Something to Think About. Department of Health.
33.
Segal, J. and Simkins, J. (1993) My Mum Needs Me: Helping Children with Ill or Disabled ParentsHarmondsworth: Penguin.
