Caring in Education

In 1984, Nel Noddings published her book Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education, which articulated an ethic of care that she argued should underlie educational practice. Her work drew attention to the role of relationships in schools, but more recently, difference scholars have argued that White feminist conceptions of caring ignore the reality of racial and power imbalances and fail to provide a framework for understanding care within communities of color. This entry examines theories of caring and their implications for students and communities of color. Drawing on research conducted with Latina/o students, the entry presents a theory of critical care and explores its potential for educational practice.