Family Policy Research Articles

Social well-being of the family as a goal of state family policy

Social well-being of the family as a goal of state family policy

The Impact of Leave Length on After Leave Experience under Family and Medical Leave Policy in the U.S.

This research examines employee experiences under the Family and Medical Leave Policy in the United States and to what extent the length of leave affects the post-leave employment experience. The data source comes from the Family Medical Leave Act Employee Survey, which was conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2018. This research further investigates whether females are more likely to be discriminated against than males and whether the eligibility of FMLA would decrease the possibility of being treated differently. Three hypotheses were 1) the longer leave one takes, the higher the possibility of being treated differently; 2) females have a higher possibility than males of being treated differently; and 3) FMLA-eligible employees have less possibility than their counterparts of being treated differently. This study found that longer leave length is associated with a higher possibility of being treated differently. Another important finding is that females have a higher possibility than males of being treated differently after controlling for other factors. Also, this study suggests that there is no significant difference between FMLA eligible groups and non-FMLA eligible groups. This study discussed policy implications regarding the length of most recent leave and gender, including the need to expand the length and types of family leave coverage, the need for government-mandated paid leave, and approaches for increasing employee knowledge of leave rights.

(Un)familiar familialism: the recent shift in family politics in Iran

This contribution addresses the strategic significance of family politics for the Islamic Republic of Iran, facing multifaceted crises. It identifies Iran’s recent family and gender policies, which are characterised by the fusion of neoliberal principles with moral politics and can be found in other authoritarian neoliberal regimes. Drawing on a historical analysis of familialism in Iran, spanning pre- and post-revolutionary periods, we contend that the recent shift towards a gendered-moral politics emphasising harsh pronatalism and family-oriented governance, termed ‘neoliberal familialism’, reflects a profound shift in the political rationality of the Islamic Republic towards neoliberal governance to manage its socio-economic crises. In other words, not only have neoliberal principles affected the family politics of the last decade in Iran, but a specific form of masculine nationalist neoliberalisation in Iran has also been possible and advanced partly through neoliberal familialism.

Allowance or service: Public attitudes toward childcare‐related family policies in China

AbstractChildcare has been considered a ‘new’ social risk and various childcare regimes have been developed worldwide to tackle this social problem. While welfare attitude studies have paid attention to public attitudes toward childcare services, little is known about public attitudes toward other childcare‐related family policies (i.e., leave and allowance). Using novel and unique survey data on welfare attitudes from China, this article investigates how socioeconomic factors matter to general as well as prioritised support for three types of childcare‐related family policies and to policy regimes in China where low fertility crisis is emerging. The survey data suggests the biggest gap between general and prioritised support is found in allowance policy and the smallest in service policy. Regression models suggest that the biggest gap between general and prioritised support for allowance policy can be explained by the reversed and negative effects of education and gender. We further develop a typology of public support for childcare regimes using Latent Class Analysis (LCA) and find four types: implicit and explicit familialism, de‐familialism, and ambiguous familialism. The results of multinomial logistic regression on public support for childcare regimes confirm the findings on prioritised support for different policies and suggest a bifurcation effect of age on regime preferences. We discuss the implications of the findings in the conclusion.

Extra-Regional Return Migration to Africa: A Systematic Literature Review

As global economies become increasingly interconnected, the movement of people across borders has intensified, generating significant debate on the implications for both sending and receiving countries. Amid this debate, studies continue to report the return of some migrants to out-sourcing countries. While extra-regional return migration (henceforth, return migration) to Africa has received scholarly attention, there is no periodic systematic literature review to establish emerging themes on this topic. In this paper, we use standard procedures to analyse twenty peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2022. From the findings, it emerged that return migration is a complex process shaped by multiple factors, such as family considerations and policies. The findings also highlight the differential experiences of returnees as they reintegrate into life in their home countries. Therefore, stakeholders should provide the necessary policy support to enhance the contributions of returnees to development.

National family policies and the association between flexible working arrangements and work-to-family conflict across Europe

Objective: This paper explores how national family policies moderate the association between flexible working arrangements and work-to-family conflict across countries. Background: Although flexible working is provided to enhance work-family integration, studies show that it can in fact increase work-to-family conflict. However, certain policy contexts can help moderate this association by introducing contexts that enable workers to use of flexible working arrangements to better meet their family and other life demands. Method: The paper uses the European Working Conditions Survey of 2015 including data from workers with caring responsibilities from across 30 European countries. It uses a multilevel cross-level interaction model to examine how family policies, such as childcare and parental leave policies, can explain the cross-national variation in the association between flexible working arrangements, that is flexitime, working-time autonomy, and teleworking, and work-to-family conflict. Results: At the European average, flexible working was associated with higher levels of work-to-family conflict for workers, with working-time-autonomy being worse for men’s, and teleworking being worse for women’s conflict levels. In countries with generous childcare policies, flexitime was associated with lower levels of work-to-family conflict, especially for women. However, in countries with long mother’s leave, working-time-autonomy was associated with even higher levels of work-to-family conflict for men. Conclusion: The results of this paper evidence how flexible working arrangements need to be introduced in a more holistic manner with possible reforms of wider range of family policies in order for flexible working to meet worker’s work-family integration demands.

Evolution of Family Education Concepts, Policies and Legalization in China

The reform and opening up has ushered in a new era in which the concepts, policies , and legalization of family education in China have gone through a significant evolution. The concepts of family education have gone through three critical phases of change: the development period, the integration period , and the modernization period. The evolution of family education policies has been divided into three phases: gradual exploration after the reform and opening up, reform and development after the 21st century, and the recent comprehensive deepening stage. The legalization process of family education also encompasses three significant developmental phases: systematic planning, scientification and specialization, and socialization. Multiple factors, including social transformation, international cultural exchanges, and parental qualities have propelled this evolutionary process. Looking ahead, developing a more comprehensive, equitable, and modern family education system will be facilitated through guidance and support from national policies, sustained reinforcement of international exchanges and collaborations, and the enhancement of parental qualities.

'Choosing this major because I am a girl?'-Gender Differences of Major Preference

The essay here is going to give a systematic summary of the potential reasons affecting the choice of college majors of the students, especially the formation of the disparity in scientific majors and humanistic majors. Moreover, the consequence of the disparity is also discussed here. Utilizing ecological theories and cognitivism, the reasons are divided into external factors such as social and family environment, gender stereotype and policies, and internal factors such as self-perception, future development and sense of qualification. A systematic review helps to emit outdated and false information and find out solutions for the problem. Also, revealing the dilemma of males and females, the society would give more freedom for them to choose their major out of their own willingness. In addition, as gender equity and education equity are always a heat topic in contemporary society, efforts should be put to fix the problem and contribute to the civilization of human.

Household Change and Related Demographic and Social Indicators in Botswana During 1971–2011

This article examines household change and related demographic and social factors in Botswana during the last 40 years (1971–2011). The analysis uses data from five Botswana censuses and three nationally representative surveys: the 1988 Botswana Standard Demographic Health Survey (BSDHS), the 2000 Multiple Indicator Survey (MICS) and the 2007 Botswana Family Health Surveys (BFHS). Overall, the analysis affords a demographic and socio-economic perspective on the change in Tswana households, which is not generally available in census reports and other population survey analyses but is crucial to family and household policy.

Can Family Policies Affect Fertility Behavior?

Can Family Policies Affect Fertility Behavior?

Large and/or single‐parent families: Public attitudes towards pronatalist and anti‐poverty family policies in Hungary

AbstractIn the 2010s, new family benefits were introduced in Hungary, focusing on large families to halt population decline. However, poverty reduction became sidelined, as these schemes benefited higher‐income earners. Based on poverty statistics, the article investigates how two family types associated with a higher risk of poverty—large families and single‐parent families—fare under this new selective pronatalist system. Furthermore, based on new representative national survey data, the article explores public support for the reforms. Although the income poverty rate for large families significantly decreased during the 2010s, it remained persistently high for single‐parent families, especially large single‐parent families. The findings indicate strong public support for state assistance to large, single‐parent and poor families and state pronatalism. However, the public prioritises support for poor, single‐parent families. This underscores a partial mismatch between public attitudes and government policy. Nonetheless, this policy probably secured public legitimacy, chiefly due to the general support for state pronatalism and large families, which were vigorously implemented in family policies, albeit selectively.

Labor unions, work contexts, and workers’ access to work–family policies

Abstract Unions serve as primary labor market institutions that improve employees’ working conditions, yet existing literature offers mixed results of their influence on workers’ access to work–family policies. This may be partially due to the extant literature having not considered possible variation across work contexts. In this study, I ask whether union coverage can increase workers’ access to work–family policies and examine how family-friendly work contexts—public sector organizations and female-dominated occupations—can modify these union effects in the United States. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 97 (2000–2017) and individual-fixed effect models, I analyze the impact of transitioning from a nonunion worker to a union-represented worker on the worker’s access to three work–family policies: paid parental leave, schedule control, and paid sick/vacation days. Results show that changing from a nonunion position to a union-represented one increases workers’ access to paid parental leave and paid sick/vacation days but decreases access to schedule control. The findings also show that workers in public sector organizations and female-dominated occupations tend to experience outsized benefits of union coverage on access to longer paid sick/vacation days. These findings suggest that the advantages of union coverage in workers’ access to work–family policies may be influenced by gendered work contexts.

Family structure and policy contexts: implications for tertiary education attainment in 25 European countries

Abstract This study examines how institutional contexts in 25 European countries moderate the association between family structure and tertiary education attainment. Previous research has proposed the resource deprivation perspective to explain lower educational outcomes among children from disrupted families, suggesting that policies addressing resource deprivation could mitigate these negative consequences. However, limited attention has been given to the role of policy contexts in shaping the educational outcomes of youth from disrupted families. This study focuses on two types of policies: the generosity of social benefits to single parents and financial support for students in tertiary education. Using data from the EU-SILC and employing multilevel regression models, the findings indicate that generous financial support for students reduces the tertiary education attainment gap between youth from separated and two-parent families. However, this effect is observed only among low-socioeconomic status (SES) and moderate-SES families. In contrast, the generosity of social benefits does not appear to moderate the association between family structure and tertiary education attainment, even when examining low-SES families or specifically considering benefits for low-earning single parents. Furthermore, the influence of these analysed policies is limited among young people from widowed families.

Institutional Factors in Reproductive Decision-Making Among Large Families in Russia

Amidst pressing global challenges and internal demographic threats, it is crucial to understand the institutional dynamics shaping the well-being of large families. This study delves into the intricate web of institutional factors that influence the prosperity of such families, examining key theoretical frameworks including institutional theory, human and social capital theories, and concepts of family. The empirical investigation draws upon extensive data sources, encompassing population censuses spanning five decades (1970–2020) and the comprehensive 2021 All-Russian sociological study Demograficheskoe samochuvstvie regionov Rossii [Demographic Well-Being of the Regions of Russia]. We conducted 22 in-depth interviews with members of large families across 10 regions. These interviews gave us a nuanced picture of the trends in family structure and the reasons behind reproductive decisions within these families. While institutional support is viewed as a “bonus” rather than a decisive factor in reproductive decisions, parents require various resources, including material, temporal, socio-psychological, informational, and educational resources, to develop necessary family and human capital skills. Furthermore, the study identifies the institutional conditions and resources crucial for bolstering the well-being of large families as well as the importance of effective family policies.

Family image, cultural values, and family policy from a global perspective

Family image, cultural values, and family policy from a global perspective

Challenges and coping strategies when caring for terminally ill persons with cancer: perspectives of family caregivers

IntroductionTerminal illness is an irreversible illness that, without life-sustaining procedures, usually results in death or permanent disability from which recovery is unlikely. When involved, family caregivers are believed to improve health outcomes, such as reduced hospitalization, and establishing a patient’s initial access to professional treatment services. However, caring for a patient with a terminal illness is viewed as one of the most difficult aspects of providing care. This study aimed to identify the challenges, and coping strategies developed by family caregivers to cope with the care of the terminally ill person.MethodsAn exploratory descriptive qualitative approach was used. Twenty (20) family caregivers voluntarily participated in the study from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. The transcribed interviews were then analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsFrom the analysis, three main themes emerged: challenges, coping strategies, and social support. These themes encompassed sixteen subthemes including financial burden, bad health conditions, faith and prayer, and support from health professionals. From the study, both male and female family caregivers narrated that providing care for sick relatives undergoing terminal disease is characterized as a daily duty demanding one’s time and fraught with emotional strain. In addition, even though it was a difficult job, family members who provided care for ailing relatives never gave up, citing responsibility, the importance of family, and religious beliefs as the primary motivations for doing so.ConclusionThe difficulties and demands of family caregiving roles for terminally ill relatives are complex and multifactorial. The findings call for multidisciplinary professional attention for family caregivers and policies that will support their lives holistically.

Crowded‐out? Changes in informal childcare during the expansion of formal services in Germany

AbstractInformal childcare care by grandparents, other relatives or friends is an important source of support in many Western countries, including Germany. Yet the role of this type of care is often overlooked in accounts of social policies supporting families with children, which tend to focus on formal childcare. This article examines whether the large formal childcare expansion occurring in Germany in the last two decades has been accompanied by similar or opposite trends in informal childcare usage. It argues that accounting for both formal and informal childcare can offer a more accurate assessment of defamilisation effects of family policies. Drawing on representative data from the German Socio‐Economic Panel the analysis identifies long‐run developments of childcare arrangements for children aged 1–10 between 1997 and 2020, offering for the first time a comprehensive picture of how families with children of different ages mix informal care and service provision. Results show that on average the expansion of formal childcare was not associated with an equal reduction in informal childcare, lending little support to the crowding‐out hypothesis. Further analyses distinguishing between population groups with different propensity to use formal childcare reveal, unexpectedly, remarkable similarities in the use of informal care throughout the period examined. The only exception are families with a migrant background, who tend to use informal childcare less than their counterparts. The general trend is, however, one whereby informal and formal care are increasingly combined.

Moving from idea to reality: The barriers and enablers to implementing Child and Family Hubs policy into practice in NSW, Australia

BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences can impact physical and mental health throughout the lifespan. To support families experiencing adversity and improve child health and developmental equity, an integrated, multi-sector response is required. Child and Family Hubs (Hubs) are a feasible and acceptable approach to providing such a response. In the Australian context, a number of federal and New South Wales (NSW) state policies support an integrated, multi-sector response using Hubs to support families experiencing adversity. This study examined NSW policy stakeholder and health service manager perspectives on the barriers and enablers to translating policy into practice in the implementation of Child and Family Hubs.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 NSW government policy stakeholders and 13 community health service managers working in child and family policy and planning or child and family community-based services. Interviews were of 30–60 min duration and explored stakeholder knowledge, perspectives and experiences around childhood adversity, and barriers and enablers to operationalizing policies supporting Hubs. Analysis of barriers and facilitators to implementation of Hub models of care was undertaken using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).ResultsKey barriers that emerged included short-term and inconsistent funding, lack of resourcing for a Hub co-ordinator, limited support for evaluation and insufficient time to plan for Hub implementation. Key enablers included flexibility and adaptability of Hub models to meet local needs, formal change management processes, strong governance structures and engagement among Hub practitioners. Key insights included the importance of targeted strategies to support sustained individual practice change and the need for organization-wide commitment to enable the successful adoption and maintenance of the Hub model of care.ConclusionsThis study provides valuable insights and contributes evidence around what is needed to strengthen and support the operationalization and scalability of the Hub model of care. Key recommendations for Hub practitioners include the importance of formal change management processes and establishment of strong governance structures, while key recommendations for policymakers include the need for sustainable Hub funding and a standardized, evidence-based framework to support Hub implementation and evaluation.

Development and validity testing of a matrix to evaluate maturity of clinical pathways: a case study in Saskatchewan, Canada

BackgroundHealthcare systems are transforming into learning health systems that use data-driven and research-informed approaches to achieve continuous improvement. One of these approaches is the use of clinical pathways, which are tools to standardize care for a specific population and improve healthcare quality. Evaluating the maturity of clinical pathways is necessary to inform pathway development teams and health system decision makers about required pathway revisions or implementation supports. In an effort to improve the development, implementation, and sustainability of provincial clinical pathways, we developed a clinical pathways maturity evaluation matrix. To explore the initial content and face validity of the matrix, we used it to evaluate a case pathway within a provincial health authority in Saskatchewan, Canada.MethodsBy using iterative consensus-based processes, we gathered feedback from stakeholders including patient and family partners, policy makers, clinicians, and quality improvement specialists, to rank, retain, or remove enablers and sub-enablers of the draft matrix. We tested the matrix on the Chronic Pain Pathway (CPP) for primary care in a local pilot area and revised the matrix based on feedback from the CPP development team leader.ResultsThe final matrix contains five enablers (i.e., Design, Ownership and Performer, Infrastructure, Performance Management, and Culture), 20 sub-enablers, and three trajectory definitions for each sub-enabler. Supplemental documents were created for six sub-enablers. The CPP scored 15 out of 40 possible points of maturity. Although the pathway scored highest in the Design enabler (10/12), it requires more attention in several areas, specifically the Ownership and Performer and the Performance Management enablers, each of which scored zero. Additionally, the Infrastructure and Culture enablers scored 2/4 and 3/8 points, respectively. These areas of the CPP are in need of improvement in order to enhance the overall maturity of the CPP.ConclusionsWe developed a clinical pathways maturity matrix to evaluate the various dimensions of clinical pathways’ development and implementation. The goals of this initial work were to develop and validate a tool to assess the maturity and readiness of new or existing pathways and to track pathways' revisions and improvements.

Gendered economic inequalities: a social policy perspective

Abstract This commentary addresses gender inequalities from a social policy perspective. It extends the analysis by Andrew et al. in this collection; focuses on lower incomes and social security; and recognizes both individual financial autonomy and interdependence as central. The commentary discusses labour market issues, including how to improve security and in-work progression for women in particular. Policy proposals are also made to limit the disruptions to women’s working lives by care for elderly or disabled people. More broadly, the commentary argues that a key question for any policy is whether it will help transform gender roles and relationships, to allow both sexes to fulfil their capabilities to the full. In addition, both male disadvantage and inequalities and economic dependence within households require more attention. Impact analysis should therefore explore not only distribution between households at the time but also potential effects on individual women and men over the life course. A balance is needed between moves towards economic independence and recognition of past, and continuing, inequalities. Policies can potentially tackle gender inequalities directly, and norms and values that may affect them indirectly. Proposals are put forward for changes in ‘family policy’, including towards second earners, parental leave and childcare. Finally, the commentary argues that the combination of a focus on autonomy and agency for all with awareness of our interdependence as a society and wider world means that gender issues must be central to the Deaton Review, not just for their own sake but also in a broader context.