Amid troubled times marked by conflicts, escalating climate changes, and social inequity, it becomes imperative to contemplate how acts of care—to oneself, specific others, strangers, the environment, and the world we share—can serve as valuable tools in navigating the uncertainty that currently envelops us.

The symposium positions care as a crucial theoretical and practical tool within the organizational education perspective. Presentations delve into the transformative power of care in organizational dynamics, especially in the post-pandemic context. The focus is on fostering democratic values and inclusive practices in organizational learning within, by, and between organizations (Göhlich et al., 2018).

The concept of care, once confined to dyadic relationships within the feminine and domestic sphere (Noddings, 1984; Tronto, 1993), has evolved into a multifaceted force extending across education, society (Noddings, 1992), politics (Tronto, 1993), and human-nonhuman interdependency (Puig de la Bellacasa, 2012). This interconnectedness, spanning intimate and planetary scales, necessitates immediate acknowledgment (Hooks, 2001). The symposium explores this expansive understanding of care, offering nuanced perspectives that challenge conventional norms and prompt a reimagining of organizational ways, structures, and practices.

The symposium presents three papers that, collectively, address the transformative potential of care in organizational settings.The first presentation positions care as an organizational principle, examining its transformative potential and democratic possibilities. By exploring care through the lens of feminist methodology and drawing from post-humanist perspectives, this paper invites us to consider how 'caring-with' can catalyze a quiet yet profound reimagining of democracy in practice, fostering an environment where shared resources and relationships are nurtured. The second paper discusses the infusion of care ethics in reshaping organizational structures in disability-led organizations, challenging neoliberal-capitalist narratives and weaves in Puar's (2017) critique of the ability/disability binary, revealing the nuanced interplay of debility, capacity, and care in post-pandemic organizing and advocating for democratic and 'care-full' inclusion. The third paper investigates the influence of care in guiding responses to uncertainty in organizational learning, integrating Dewey's insights on uncertainty and societal democratization (Dewey, 1916; 1949) with feminist care ethics perspectives that highlight its role in fostering inclusive and adaptive environments amid uncertainties. The fourth paper seeks to delve into and scrutinize the conceptual frameworks and underlying theories influencing the assessment of care work quality, with an emphasis on striving for better harmony with ever-evolving sociocultural dynamics inherent in these practices.

These papers collectively advocate for a care ethics framework that goes beyond traditional boundaries, promoting attentiveness, responsiveness, and response-ability. They urge a reconceptualization of care as a catalyst for fostering inclusive organizational learning, decision-making, and a commitment to the well-being of individuals and communities. By integrating care ethics into organizational culture, the papers propose a model encouraging open communication, collaboration, discussions on care management, and a willingness to learn from uncertainties. In doing so, they provide a comprehensive narrative emphasizing the significance of recognizing and integrating acts of care, both ephemeral and sustained, within organizational structures and educational practices.

This symposium encourages thoughtful engagement with its themes, guided by the following questions shaping its structure:

1. In what ways does the organization of care contribute to the emergence and growth of democratic processes during times of uncertainty?
2. How do disability-led and inclusive organizations redefine care ethics and practices in post-pandemic organizational structures, and what are the implications for broader organizational inclusion and equity?
3. How does the integration of John Dewey's philosophy of uncertainty with feminist care ethics enhance our understanding of care's role in organizational learning and decision-making processes?

4. How and to what extent does restructuring care work management theories and methodologies lead to reducing uncertainty in institutional care through an organizational education perspective?

Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and Education. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), The middle works, 1899 - 1924, Volume: 9 (1980th ed.). Southern Illinois University Press. Dewey, J. & Bentley, A. F. (1949). Knowing and the known. Beacon Press. Göhlich, M., Novotný, P., Revsbæk, L., Schröer, A., Weber, S. M., & Yi, B. J. (2018). Research Memorandum Organizational Education. Studia Paedagogica, 23(2), 205-215. Hooks, B. (2000). All about love: new visions. Harper Collins Publishers. Puar, J. K. (2017). The right to maim: Debility, capacity, disability. Duke University Press. Puig de la Bellacasa, M. (2012). ‘Nothing comes without its world’: thinking with care. The sociological review, 60(2), 197-216. Tronto, J. (1993). Moral Boundaries: A Political Argument for an Ethic of Care (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003070672