Moral Stress and Moral Agency in Eldercare

Dear Colleagues,

Moral stress signifies welfare workers’ experiences of having no control over the situation and external factors preventing them from doing what is perceived to be the "right to do" (Jameton, 1984; Lützen et al., 2003; Pauly et al., 2012). To perceive and feel the moral implications of a situation can lead to passivity, not doing anything about the situation. However, moral stress can also lead to activity, thus, implying increased agency or moral agency. By this call, we want to promote the exploration of how moral stress can lead to moral agency among welfare workers in eldercare.

Moral stress most commonly describes negative aspects of work (Mänttäri-van der Kuip, 2020). It is crucial to recognize the importance of good working conditions for being able to provide good care (for older people). Moral stress most often causes problems, but under certain conditions, it might serve as a catalyst for moral agency. From a social policy perspective, this point of view emphasizes the importance of decent working conditions for personnel to be able to protect and secure older people’s rights (Kälvemark et al., 2004). This approach combines critical perspectives on the care of older people, working life research and theories on moral stress and moral agency.

This Special Issue addresses the ways in which moral stress and moral agency are part of everyday eldercare. The concepts can be used both to shed light on the working conditions in eldercare and empower and equip the care professionals of the future. While a context-sensitive mapping of moral stress is a necessary start, discovering innovative ways of promoting moral agency is a goal. One important standpoint in this argument is that moral stress and moral agency must be understood within political and structural contexts but also in relation to the complexity of the older persons’ situation in society and in relation to care needs. In addition, the need for care may keep company with other challenges such as poverty, addiction, mental illness, isolation, family conflicts, and violence in close relationships.

We invite scholars to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of eldercare from the perspective of moral stress and moral agency. Concrete empirical analyses in the form of case studies and methodological and theoretical discussions are welcome. We invite international contributions from all over the world and strive for diversity in terms of nationalities among the authors and the perspectives and approaches within eldercare studies.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Theoretical contributions on moral stress and moral agency;
• Knowledge production on moral stress and moral agency in eldercare;
• Analyses of individuals or groups of individuals who are affected by moral stress, how they cope and what strategies they use;
• Critical and cultural perspectives on conflicts, tensions, and negotiations concerning moral stress and moral agency in eldercare;
• New, playful, and creative ways in which moral agency can be reinforced and enhanced in the field of eldercare.

References

Lützén, K., Cronqvist, A., Magnusson, A., & Andersson, L. (2003). Moral stress: synthesis of a concept. Nursing Ethics, 10(3), 312-322.

Jameton, A. (1984). Nursing practice: The ethical issues. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Kälvemark, S., Höglund, A. T., Hansson, M. G., Westerholm, P., & Arnetz, B. (2004). Living with conflicts-ethical dilemmas and moral distress in the health care system. Social science & medicine, 58(6), 1075-1084.

Mänttäri-van der Kuip, M. (2020). Conceptualising work-related moral suffering—Exploring and refining the concept of moral distress in the context of social work. The British Journal of Social Work, 50(3), 741-757.

Pauly, B. M., Varcoe, C., & Storch, J. (2012, March). Framing the issues: moral distress in health care. In Hec forum (Vol. 24, pp. 1-11). Springer Netherlands.

Dr. Sara Hultqvist
Dr. Magdalena Elmersjö
Dr. Katarina Hollertz
Guest Editors

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