Parenthood and welfare outcomes in late-twentieth-century Sweden

Abstract

This article explores the impact of family formation and in particular the impact of parenthood on Swedish men's and women's welfare outcomes during the last decades of the twentieth century. A description of changes to family forms since the 1970s, with an emphasis on marriages, divorces, and childbirth is followed by a description of Swedish family policy and labour market settings. After this, the article focuses on the effects of parenthood on welfare outcomes, namely income and well-being. Negative effects of parenthood, specifically lowered income and self-reported feelings of tiredness are more frequently observed in mothers, something which is argued to influence future childbirth patterns. Furthermore, the article points to the need to examine the potential influence that fathers' changing roles within families will have on future family formation and fertility patterns.