Robots Won't Save Japan: An Ethnography of Eldercare Automation

Robots Won't Save Japan explores the Japanese government's efforts to develop care robots to address the challenges of an aging population, rising demand for eldercare, and a critical shortage of care workers. However, the book argues that these devices will likely transform the practices, organization, meanings, and ethics of caregiving, deskilling and devaluing care work, and reducing opportunities for human social interaction. It also highlights that robots are more expensive and require additional human labor to tend to them, thus failing to rescue Japan from its care crisis.

Format: Hardback
Length: 198 pages
Publication date: 15 February 2023
Publisher: Cornell University Press

Robots Won't Save Japan: Examining the Government's Efforts to Develop Care Robots

In response to the pressing challenges posed by an aging population, rising demand for eldercare, and a critical shortage of care workers, the Japanese government has embarked on a ambitious initiative to develop care robots. This book, authored by James Wright, delves into the ethnographic research conducted at key sites of Japanese robot development and implementation, shedding light on the potential impact of these devices on the practices, organization, meanings, and ethics of caregiving.

The proposed techno-welfare state that Japan is prototyping involves a significant reconfiguration of care. It deskills and devalues care work, reducing opportunities for human social interaction and relationship building. Contrary to initial expectations, care robots, despite their promise of saving labor and reducing healthcare expenditures, come with their own set of costs. Robots require additional human labor to tend to them, leading to increased operational expenses. As Wright astutely observes, robots alone cannot resolve Japan's care crisis.

The attempts to implement robot care serve as a poignant reminder of the importance of looking beyond simplistic techno-fixes and considering the broader context in which care is provided. It emphasizes the need to support rather than undermine the human times, spaces, and relationships that are essential for sustainable cultivation of good care. By exploring the complexities and unintended consequences of introducing care robots, this book offers valuable insights into the future of caregiving and the challenges that societies must navigate to ensure that all individuals receive the care they need and deserve.

Weight: 468g
Dimension: 239 x 159 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501768040