Vulnerable Bodies in Human–Robot Interactions: Embodiment as Ethical Issue in Robot Care for the Elderly
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to investigate the notion of embodiment in robot technologies for eldercare, drawing on the phenomenology of the body and discussions of practical nursing ethics. Reaching beyond dualistic discourse on aging bodies, we aim to develop a new ethical framework in which lived bodies and embodied care practices play a dominant role in interpreting moral values of human care. Developing further the notion of “materialising morality”, we approach robotcare as an embodied care practice that takes place in the “triangle” between caregivers, care receivers and robotics. Taking seriously the idea that touching is crucial for the wellbeing of elderly people, this paper comes to the conclusion that robots can take care of elderly patients, but they can’t care about them. Robots are not replacements for caregivers, but they might be designed to help caregivers and clients find more profound embodied interactions.
Keywords
Robotics, Ethics, Elderly people, Embodiement, Care practices
Author Biography
Jaana Parviainen
Jaana Parviainen is a senior researcher at the University of Tampere. Her research interests include phenomenology and social epistemology especially relating to embodiment, movement and digital technology in the postindustrial economy. Her current research focuses on service robots in eldercare. Parviainen’s research has been published in journals such as Interacting with Computers, European Journal of Cultural Studies, Human Technology and Mobilities.
Jari Pirhonen
Jari Pirhonen is finalizing his doctoral thesis at the University of Tampere. His research interests include social gerontology, longterm elderly care, and care ethics. His doctoral thesis will concentrate on constituents of good life in long-term elderly care. Pirhonen’s research has been published in journals such as Ageing and Society, Journal of Aging Studies, and Nursing Philosophy.