Abstract
AbstractIn this chapter we review the research linking national-level family policies on childcare services and parental leave to women’s labor market outcomes. We review the state of the literature in answering two primary questions: (1) Do generous family policies perpetuate gender inequality in the labor market? That is, do family policies have unintended consequences or promote women’s inclusion into the labor force at the expense of gender equality within it? (2) Do generous family policies promote gender equality for certain groups of women at the expense of other groups of women? In answering this second question we focus on how policies differentially affect women by social class. We conclude with directions for future research.
Highlights
The literature linking family policy to women’s labor market outcomes is a rapidly expanding field, spanning many disciplines and analytic approaches
We turn to the primary questions that animate this review, discussing the literature on gender inequality-promoting effects of family policy and heterogeneity in effects of family policy by social class
Countries are grouped into categories: (1) the primary caregiver strategy or supported familialism, wherein the state subsidizes women’s care work; (2) the primary earner strategy or familialism by default, wherein the state encourages women’s employment but provides little support for care; (3) the choice strategy or optional familialism, wherein state policy supports women’s choice to work or care; and (4) the earner-career strategy or de-familialist, wherein policy supports the combination of work and care for women as well as men
Summary
The literature linking family policy to women’s labor market outcomes is a rapidly expanding field, spanning many disciplines and analytic approaches. This chapter has an explicit focus on two central questions: (1) Do generous family policies perpetuate gender inequality? Do family policies have unintended consequences or promote women’s inclusion into the labor force at the expense of gender equality in labor market outcomes, such as in working hours, occupational integration, or wages? (2) do generous family policies promote gender equality for certain groups of women at the expense of other groups of women? We turn to the primary questions that animate this review, discussing the literature on gender inequality-promoting effects of family policy and heterogeneity in effects of family policy by social class. Li studied family policies—childcare services and parental leave—affect women’s employment outcomes in general and differentially by social class. For an excellent review of foundational research in the 1990s we refer readers to van der Lippe and van Dijk (2002)
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