Collective Care as Political Act

Sor Juana's intellectual work in the convent was inseparable from her role as teacher, counselor, and community member. She performed care labor while claiming intellectual dignity, demonstrating that these are not opposing domains but deeply intertwined. Writing poetry, mentoring younger nuns, engaging with theological disputes, and defending women's education were all expressions of a relational justice framework. Collective care as political act recognizes that the work of sustaining relationships, supporting vulnerable people, and building communities is not separate from justice-seeking but central to it. In contemporary terms, this means valuing care work economically and socially, recognizing caregivers as knowledge-holders, and understanding that building just relationships requires actual labor and commitment. Justice emerges from the ground-level work of attending to concrete needs, not only from abstract principles or policy change.