The Politics of Work-Family Policy Reforms in Germany and Italy

The Politics of Work-Family Policy Reforms in Germany and Italy PDF Author: Agnes Blome
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 131755437X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
One of the fundamental challenges facing modern welfare states is the question of work-family reconciliation. An increasing share of mothers work, but many European welfare states do not adequately support the dual-earner model, especially in southern Europe. After 2005, German policy-makers transformed the nature of Germany’s family policy regime through a number of legislative measures, whilst Italy, a country with many similarities, witnessed little change. Using a multi-methods approach, this book addresses the puzzle of why Germany was able to implement far-reaching reforms in this policy area after a long impasse and Italy was not. As such, it delivers a broad, systematic account of these reforms and sheds light on why similar reforms were not also adopted in other similar welfare states at the same time. More generally, it contributes to understanding the determinants of welfare policy change in modern European welfare states. This text will be of key interest to scholars, students and professionals working on topics linked to European politics, welfare and work-family policies, comparative politics, social policy, and more broadly to political science and gender studies.

The Politics of Work-Family Policy Reforms in Germany and Italy

The Politics of Work-Family Policy Reforms in Germany and Italy PDF Author: Agnes Blome
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 131755437X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
One of the fundamental challenges facing modern welfare states is the question of work-family reconciliation. An increasing share of mothers work, but many European welfare states do not adequately support the dual-earner model, especially in southern Europe. After 2005, German policy-makers transformed the nature of Germany’s family policy regime through a number of legislative measures, whilst Italy, a country with many similarities, witnessed little change. Using a multi-methods approach, this book addresses the puzzle of why Germany was able to implement far-reaching reforms in this policy area after a long impasse and Italy was not. As such, it delivers a broad, systematic account of these reforms and sheds light on why similar reforms were not also adopted in other similar welfare states at the same time. More generally, it contributes to understanding the determinants of welfare policy change in modern European welfare states. This text will be of key interest to scholars, students and professionals working on topics linked to European politics, welfare and work-family policies, comparative politics, social policy, and more broadly to political science and gender studies.

The Politics of Work–Family Policies

The Politics of Work–Family Policies PDF Author: Patricia Boling
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316300625
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
The work-family policies of Sweden and France are often held up as models for other nations to follow, yet political structures and resources can present obstacles to fundamental change that must be taken into account. Patricia Boling argues that we need to think realistically about how to create political and policy change in this vital area. She evaluates policy approaches in the US, France, Germany and Japan, analyzing their policy histories, power resources, and political institutions to explain their approaches, and to propose realistic trajectories toward change. Arguing that much of the story lies in the way that job markets are structured, Boling shows that when women have reasonable chances of resuming their careers after giving birth, they are more likely to have children than in countries where even brief breaks put an end to a career, or where motherhood restricts them to part-time work.

Working Mothers and the Welfare State

Working Mothers and the Welfare State PDF Author: Kimberly J. Morgan
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 9780804754149
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 268

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Book Description
This book explains why countries have adopted different policies for working parents through a comparative historical study of four nations: France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States.

The Politics of Parental Leave Policies

The Politics of Parental Leave Policies PDF Author: Sheila B. Kamerman
Publisher: Policy Press
ISBN: 1847429033
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
This title covers 15 countries in Europe and beyond bringing together leading academic experts to provide a unique insight into the past, present and future state of this key policy area.

The Politics of Work-family Policies

The Politics of Work-family Policies PDF Author: Patricia Boling
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781316327364
Category : Electronic books
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
"The work-family policies of Sweden and France are often held up as models for other nations to follow, yet political structures and resources can present obstacles to fundamental change that must be taken into account. Patricia Boling argues that we need to think realistically about how to create political and policy change in this vital area. She evaluates policy approaches in the US, France, Germany and Japan, analyzing their policy histories, power resources, and political institutions to explain their approaches, and to propose realistic trajectories toward change. Arguing that much of the story lies in the way that job markets are structured, Boling shows that when women have reasonable chances of resuming their careers after giving birth, they are more likely to have children than in countries where even brief breaks put an end to a career, or where motherhood restricts them to part-time work"--

Handbook of Family Policies Across the Globe

Handbook of Family Policies Across the Globe PDF Author: Mihaela Robila
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461467713
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 475

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Book Description
Family policy holds a particular status in the quest for a more equitable world as it intersects the rights of women, children, and workers. But despite local and global efforts and initiatives, the state of family policy in different areas of the world varies widely. Through a cross-section of countries on six continents, Family Policies Across the Globe offers the current state of the laws concerning family life, structure, and services, providing historical, cultural, and socioeconomic context. Lucidly written chapters analyze key aspects of family definition, marriage, child well-being, work/family balance, and family assistance, reviewing underlying social issues and controversies as they exist in each country. Details of challenges to implementation and methods of evaluating policy outcomes bring practical realities into sharp focus, and each chapter concludes with recommendations for improvement at the research, service, and governmental levels. The result is an important comparative look at how governments support families, and how societies perceive themselves as they evolve. Among the issues covered: Sierra Leone: toward sustainable family policies. Russia: folkways versus state-ways. Japan: policy responses to a declining population. Australia: reform, revolutions, and lingering effects. Canada: a patchwork policy. Colombia: a focus on policies for vulnerable families. Researchers , professors and graduate students in the fields of social policy, child and family studies, psychology, sociology, and social work will find in Family Policies Across the Globe a reference that will grow in importance as world events continue to develop.

Families That Work

Families That Work PDF Author: Janet C. Gornick
Publisher: Russell Sage Foundation
ISBN: 1610442512
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 404

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Book Description
Parents around the world grapple with the common challenge of balancing work and child care. Despite common problems, the industrialized nations have developed dramatically different social and labor market policies—policies that vary widely in the level of support they provide for parents and the extent to which they encourage an equal division of labor between parents as they balance work and care. In Families That Work, Janet Gornick and Marcia Meyers take a close look at the work-family policies in the United States and abroad and call for a new and expanded role for the U.S. government in order to bring this country up to the standards taken for granted in many other Western nations. In many countries in Europe and in Canada, family leave policies grant parents paid time off to care for their young children, and labor market regulations go a long way toward ensuring that work does not overwhelm family obligations. In addition, early childhood education and care programs guarantee access to high-quality care for their children. In most of these countries, policies encourage gender equality by strengthening mothers' ties to employment and encouraging fathers to spend more time caregiving at home. In sharp contrast, Gornick and Meyers show how in the United States—an economy with high labor force participation among both fathers and mothers—parents are left to craft private solutions to the society-wide dilemma of "who will care for the children?" Parents—overwhelmingly mothers—must loosen their ties to the workplace to care for their children; workers are forced to negotiate with their employers, often unsuccessfully, for family leave and reduced work schedules; and parents must purchase care of dubious quality, at high prices, from consumer markets. By leaving child care solutions up to hard-pressed working parents, these private solutions exact a high price in terms of gender inequality in the workplace and at home, family stress and economic insecurity, and—not least—child well-being. Gornick and Meyers show that it is possible–based on the experiences of other countries—to enhance child well-being and to increase gender equality by promoting more extensive and egalitarian family leave, work-time, and child care policies. Families That Work demonstrates convincingly that the United States has much to learn from policies in Europe and in Canada, and that the often-repeated claim that the United States is simply "too different" to draw lessons from other countries is based largely on misperceptions about policies in other countries and about the possibility of policy expansion in the United States.

Family Leave Policy: The Political Economy of Work and Family in America

Family Leave Policy: The Political Economy of Work and Family in America PDF Author: Steven K. Wisensale
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317470680
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
Written in an accessible, case study format, this groundbreaking work explores the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of family leave policy in the United States, from its beginnings at the state level in the early 1980s, through the adoption of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, and beyond to the present day. With a political economy perspective, the book identifies the major economic and social forces affecting both the family and the workplace. And drawing on original primary research, it examines how the political system has responded to this evolving issue with various policy initiatives.

Family Policies and Family Well-Being

Family Policies and Family Well-Being PDF Author: Shirley L. Zimmerman
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISBN: 145225348X
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 217

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Book Description
How can you assess the effects of existing government policies on families? Are there ways to predict the effects of future policies upon the family? Challenging the view that governmental social programs have been detrimental to family life, Zimmerman provides empirical evidence to show that attitudes toward the governments′ role in relation to families are associated with the political cultures of different states. She also illustrates the relationship between states′ political cultures and the kinds of family policies states enact. Important guidelines are suggested to aid in the development of a policy agenda that will enhance the well-being of individuals and families, regardless of where they live. Family Policies and Family Well-Being examines findings from several independent but related undertakings including: a survey of family professionals living in states with different political cultures; an analysis of family legislation enacted by three states with different political cultures; and an examination of the relationships between states′ policy approaches to families and individual and family well-being and the role of political culture. Exercises are provided to encourage the reader to carefully scrutinize the main issues. Exploring the connections between family policies, individual and family well being, and political culture, this volume is important reading for professionals and students in social work, political science, public policy, family studies, and public administration. "Timely, thought-provoking, well-organized, and clearly written in an engaging and upbeat style. . . . The strength of the book lies in its versatility. It can be used in both undergraduate and graduate courses in politics, policy, and research methods. It can also serve as a model, or certainly as point of reference, for both novice and experienced researchers. Each chapter ends with a series of questions and exercises, and the appendixes include a glossary of terms (always a good idea), a chart of all 50 states categorized according to their respective political cultures, and a ready-made survey for anyone wishing to replicate Zimmerman′s study." --Family Relations "This . . . important book follows earlier work by the author . . . who is increasingly recognized as an expert in family policy. . . . [It] is highly recommended for professionals and scholars in the family field, and for upperclass and graduate students. Among its assets are the exercises at the end of each chapter which encourage careful scrutiny of the issues raised." --Journal of Marriage and the Family "Zimmerman is highly qualified to assess the subject of family policies and family well-being. Her ambitious study defines family policies as everything governments do that affect families. Zimmerman examines explicit and implicit policies, intentional and unintentional consequences, direct and indirect effects, and manifest and latent family effects. . . . Zimmerman explores the relationship between political culture and marital ties, teenage births, poverty, suicide rates, and welfare expenditures at a state level. The writing style is easy to read. There is a list of references and a glossary of terms used in the text. Advanced undergraduates." --Choice "The strength of this book lies in its versatility. It can be used in both undergraduate and undergraduate courses in politics, policy, and research methods. It can also serve as a model, or certainly as point of reference, for both novice and experienced researchers. Each chapter ends with a series of questions and exercises, and the appendices include a glossary of terms (always a good idea), a chart of all 50 states categorized according to their respective political cultures, and a ready-made survey for anyone wishing to replicate Zimmerman′s study." --Family Relations "The book will be most useful for readers interested in the connection between government and its family policies and programs. . . . Zimmerman makes the book appealing by including a glossary of terms and numerous tables, using current examples, providing relevant exercises, writing the book in first person, and explaining how the book can be used to understand the political culture of one′s own community." --Canadian Home Economics Journal

Work-family Balance, Gender and Policy

Work-family Balance, Gender and Policy PDF Author: Jane Lewis
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 184844740X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
Looks at the three main components of work-family policy packages - childcare services, flexible working patterns and entitlements to leave from work in order to care - across EU15 Member States, with comparative reference to the US. This work also provides an examination of developments in the UK.