Landscapes of Hope and Emancipation: Community Care Practices, Gender and Welfare Transformations in Southern European Context

The central argument of this chapter is threefold: the transformation of welfare regimes and the transition from public intervention to the involvement of civil society in local welfare are phenomena that should be considered together; urban inequalities and welfare deficiencies are crucial in relating these two processes. Furthermore, in order to understand the uneven experiences of urban inequalities, especially in everyday practices and policies, we need to consider how austerity and welfare cuts affect different people and groups in different ways, according to their socio-spatial locations and positions. Based on these assumptions, the research focuses on the community care practices and the gender dimensions of poverty in the Southern European context, highlighting the role of women as agents and their role in the production of space in the city.