Fathers And Mothers Dilemmas Of The Work-life Balance

by Fine-Davis, M.; Fagnani, Jeanne; Giovannini, Dino; H?gaard, Lis; Clarke, Hilary

• ISBN13: 9781402018480
• ISBN10: 1402018487
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-12-31
• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Pub

Summary

This book presents a comparative analysis of the dilemmas faced by working parents with young children in four European countries - France, Italy, Ireland and Denmark - each of which represents a different "experience" of the evolving gender role process. It was the aim of the study to identify the key issues concerning the reconciliation of work and family roles, with particular emphasis on examining the barriers to men's greater involvement in domestic and family activities. A major purpose of the study was to develop new social indicators to measure issues of work life balance, which could be utilised in other national and cross-national studies. The book provides an overview of the latest research findings in the four countries, as well as a comparison and synthesis of the situations in these countries. It then presents the results of a survey carried out simultaneously in France, Italy, Denmark and Ireland and a comparative analysis of people's dilemmas and coping strategies in these countries. The research identifies which factors in the workplace, the home and society at large are associated with ease vs. difficulty in combining work and family life and with parental well-being. The comparative results contribute to a better understanding of the realities of life of young working parents and also highlight the critically important role played by public social and family policies in facilitating equal opportunities and quality of life for this group of workers. Reconciling work and family is now on the social and political agenda. It is to be hoped that the EU, national governments and individual workplaces will continue to develop new and better policies to promote work-life balance for men as well as women, for - as the data in the study clearly show - people's well-being very much depends on it.

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

Notes On Authors

List Of Tables In Text

List Of Figures In Text

List Of Tables In Appendix

Introduction:- Overview of Book

France:- Setting The Context: French Family And Childcare Policies

Childcare Allowances: Reducing The Costs Of Childcare For Working Parents. Parental Leave And Child-Rearing Benefit

Attitudinal Studies

Workplace Policies In France

New Challenges: Is There A Predicament For Family Policy?

Italy:- National Social Policies

Workplace Policies-Objective Measures

Attitudinal Studies-Subjective Measures

Studies On Gender Role Attitudes

Denmark:- Denmark By Numbers

Danish Rules Of Leave

Leave And The Labour

Gender And Working Life In Workplace Cultures

Scandinavian Equality Model(S)

Ireland:- National Social Policies

Current Status Of Family-Friendly Arrangements In Irish Workplaces

Childcare In Ireland: An Historical Perspective And Current Policy Issues

Attitudinal Studies: Changing Gender Roles And Social Policies In Ireland

A Comparison Of The Four Countries: An Overview:- Women's Labour Force Participation

Relationships Between Fertility And Employment

Comparative Social Policies

Flexible Working

Gender Roles And Attitudes

Research On Fathering

Conclusion

Methodology:- Method

Characteristics Of The Sample

Children And Family Life:- The Effect Of The Birth Of The Youngest Child On Work And Family Life

Division Of Labour Within The Household

Childcare

Time Preferences

The Workplace:- Workplace Demographics

Changes In Work Following The Birth Of The Youngest Child

Potential For Flexibility

Perceptions Of Workplace Attitudes

Workplace Policies

Combining Work And Family Life:- Reconciling Work And Family

Well-Being

Correlates Of Well-Being

Summary And Discussion:- Background

The Study

Children And Family Life

The Workplace

Combining Work And Family Life

Conclusions And Social Policy Implications

Tables

Questionnaire

References

Author Index

Index

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