Family Policy in Germany: A Feminist Dilemma?

Abstract

The paper provides a detailed description of different aspects of family policy in Germany, including descriptions of financial and employment supports for families in their caregiving role. Family policy in Germany provides strong financial and social support for children. Law and policy, however, are specifically formulated to encourage child rearing to take place in the home, with one of the parents focusing extensively on child rearing and family responsibilities. The paper also examines whether equality for women can be achieved within the framework of a corporatist welfare state regime such as Germany's. It develops the argument that the German route to equality may be a different one from that pursued by countries with liberal or social democratic welfare regimes. This scenario also implies that when and if equality does occur, the structures and meaning of this equality are also likely to differ. Finally, the paper argues that the corporatist welfare state regime cannot be dismissed as incompatible with the achievement of future equality for women. Instead such a model can be viewed as providing the potential of increasing choices for women with children.