Money and intimacy are two powerful motivating factors. As Folbre and Nelson highlight, they’re also often held as mutually exclusive. Culturally, we like to think that once money is involved, a transaction becomes clean and passionless. On the other hand, once feelings are involved, the motivation is thought to be entirely intrinsic, untainted by finances.

Caregiving that comes with a pricetag, therefore, doesn’t quite compute. In our typical view, the paid caregiver must be inwardly less sincere (and it can be assumed, less trustworthy), or the money wouldn’t be necessary.

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