Women have traditionally been associated with care and caregiving roles. However, few studies have explored how adolescents conceptualize care, particularly through a gendered lens. This mixed-method study aimed to examine young people’s beliefs about, and representations of, care. A sample of 885 students from the final year of compulsory secondary education in Spain (mean age = 15 years) participated in the study. The dataset contains the results of a content analysis approach used to identify recurring themes and patterns in their responses to the open-ended question: ‘What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about care?’ The dataset derives from the development of a codebook with the responses to the open-ended question. The results of the content analysis highlighted various aspects associated with the reception and provision of care. While participants predominantly referenced people who give or receive care, they also mentioned specific actions involved in the caregiving process. Gender differences were minimal, although girls were more likely to comment on the nature of care and specific caregiving actions. Most of the meanings associated with care were of neutral valence. The implications of these findings for understanding the role of care in adolescents’ lives are discussed.

SPSS Statistics, 29.0.0.0