Exploring the mobilities of double-duty carers: introducing mobility of the care economy

The term ‘double-duty carer’ (DDC) refers to the primarily female healthcare workforce who provide unpaid care to family members or friends outside of work. This chapter places the mobility constraints of DDCs centre stage. First, it introduces the unique position of DDCs at the interface of paid and unpaid care. Then, it reviews the literature on mobility and care, identifying two strains: travel for unpaid household-serving mobility and the commute of paid carers. It then uses the case of DDCs to put forth a new concept, which we name the mobility of the care economy, that captures the travel that results from conducting both paid and unpaid care work and how they intertwine. In doing so, this chapter bridges the literatures on the care economy and mobilities of care, while highlighting avenues for future research.