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Elass, Kenza (2024): Male and female selection effects on gender wage gaps in three countries. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 87. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2024.102506

Abstract

"A vast literature on gender wage gaps has examined the importance of selection into employment. However, most analyses have focused only on female labor force participation and gaps at the median. The Great Recession questions this approach because of the major shift in male employment that it implied. This paper uses the methodology proposed by Arellano and Bonhomme (2017) to estimate a quantile selection model over the period 2007–2018. Using a tax and benefit microsimulation model, I compute an instrument capturing both male and female decisions to participate in the labor market: the potential out-of-work income. Since my instrument is crucially determined by the welfare state, I consider three countries with notably different benefit systems – the UK, France and Finland. My results imply different selection patterns across countries and a sizeable male selection in France and the UK. Correction for selection bias lowers the gender wage gap and reveals a substantial glass ceiling with different magnitudes. Findings suggest that disparities between these countries are driven by occupational segregation and public spending on families." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Chanfreau, Jenny (2023): The Persistence in Gendering: Work-Family Policy in Britain since Beveridge. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 52, S. 981-998. DOI:10.1017/S0047279422000125

Abstract

"Understanding the historical policy pathways that have led to the constellation of policies that both reflect and shape the current gender order can reveal reasons for the persistence of gender inequality in paid work and unpaid family care. Bringing together existing research and policy critique with Carol Bacchi’s framework of policy as ‘gendering practices’, this paper focuses on the role of policy as a process that constructs and upholds an unequal gender order. The discussion traces how UK social policies have since the establishment of the post-war welfare state articulated and positioned gendered possibilities for combining paid work and childrearing, shaping gendered and classed work-family life courses. The analysis illustrates that British social policy has not been consistently committed to a more equal gender regime but instead maintained a heteronormative family ideal and thus, despite various policy changes, the gendering of ‘the worker’ and ‘the parent’ as conceptualised in UK policy has persisted over the last several decades." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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English, Claire & Gareth Brown (2023): My mum is on strike! Social reproduction and the (emotional) labor of 'mothering work' in neoliberal Britain. In: Gender, work & organization, Jg. 30, H. 6, S. 1941-1959. DOI:10.1111/gwao.13027

Abstract

"This article will explore the ways mothers and carers use the term ‘emotional labor’ to describe the exhaustion and burnout associated with socially reproductive tasks, rather than the performance of affective labor in the workplace. Scholars of social reproduction theory claim that emotion is key to understanding the specificities of gendered alienation, yet it remains under‐theorised. This article seeks to understand how the emotional lives of carers have been transformed by neoliberal processes that have intensified labor both within and beyond the home. Drawing on interviews with participants from the 2019 ‘My Mum is on Strike’ stay and play event, alongside ethnographic insights from online mothering blogs, sometimes referred to as the ‘mamasphere’ (Wilson et al., 2017), this article seeks to contextualizethe experiences of carers who narrate their reproductive labor as emotional ‘work’. Given the conditions of neoliberal rationality and the marketization of society, where every ‘field of activity… and entity (whether public or private, whether person, business, or state) is understood as a market and governed as a firm’ (Brown, 2015), emotional labor and the associated gendered expectations may begin to ‘feel like’ work, and we argue that this is felt in a specific way by those carrying out mothering labor, warranting further academic investigation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Zamberlan, Anna & Paolo Barbieri (2023): A 'potential motherhood' penalty? A longitudinal analysis of the wage gap based on potential fertility in Germany and the United Kingdom. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 39, H. 6, S. 920-934. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcad003

Abstract

"While labour market penalties related to motherhood are a widely studied topic, less is known about the implications of signalled potential fertility. We thus posed the question of whether potential fertility—operationalized as the likelihood that a childless woman will transition to motherhood depending on observed sociodemographic characteristics—is associated with a wage penalty and—if so—what the drivers of this wage gap are. We further tested theory-driven hypotheses about heterogeneity across institutional contexts (i.e. in Germany and the United Kingdom) and socio-economic classes. In so doing, we relied on SOEP, BHPS, and UKHLS panel data to construct a synthetic measure of potential fertility over the period from 1991 to 2017. We first explored the overall association between potential fertility and wages and found a wage gap to the disadvantage of potential mothers in both contexts, albeit with non-negligible heterogeneity across time and socio-economic classes. Subsequently, we selected the top and bottom quartiles of the distribution of potential fertility and performed a 2-fold decomposition of the wage differential between potential mothers and women who are less likely to transition to motherhood. The observed wage gap can mostly be explained by compositional differences in observed characteristics between the two groups of women, thereby leaving little room for explanations based on employer discrimination." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Belloc, Ignacio, José Alberto Molina & Jorge Velilla (2022): How does intrahousehold bargaining power impact labor supply? European cross-country evidence (2004-2019). (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 1132), Essen, 35 S.

Abstract

"This paper analyzes how intrahousehold bargaining power impacts labor supply, for seventeen European countries. To that end, we estimate a collective model using the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions for the period 2004-2019, and we study the validity of several potential distribution factors; that is to say, variables that impact labor supply only through intrahousehold bargaining power. Results show some degree of heterogeneity in the responses of labor supply to intrahousehold bargaining power. Spouses' education and the age gap operate as distribution factors in central European countries, such as Austria, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. On the other hand, in the Mediterranean South countries, the share of unearned income of the wife operates as a distribution factor in Italy, Portugal, and Spain, and in countries of Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, and Lithuania), the sex ratio, wives' non-labor income share, spouses' age and education gap, and the fertility rate all operate as distribution factors. In northern economies, such as Denmark and Estonia, we find evidence for share of unearned income, age gap, and fertility rate, while in islands, such as Ireland and the United Kingdom, the sex ratio, the share of unearned income, the age and education gap, and the fertility rate are suitable bargaining power variables. The results are consistent with theoretical sharing rules, and distribution factors that empower a given spouse are mainly positively correlated with increases in the share of income they attract from intrahousehold bargaining." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gaunt, Ruth, Ana Jordan, Anna Tarrant, Nicola Chanamuto, Mariana Pinho & Agata Wezyk (2022): Caregiving Dads, Breadwinning Mums. Transforming Gender in Work and Childcare? 61 S.

Abstract

"This mixed methods study investigates opposite-sex couples who share childcare equally or reverse roles so that the father is the primary caregiver. Comparing these couples with traditional couples, the project will explore what exactly their work and care arrangements look like, and what effects these arrangements have on their well-being and relationship satisfaction. A new survey questionnaire will be distributed online to collect quantitative data on time investment and the allocation of tasks from samples of mothers and fathers of young children with either traditional family roles (male breadwinner, female caregiver), reversed roles (male caregiver, female breadwinner), or equal sharing arrangements. A novel aspect of the research is the consideration of the socio-psychological processes that may contribute to a decision to adopt non-gendered arrangements – for example, the survey will also measure respondents’ identities, ideologies, and implicit gender attitudes. In addition to the quantitative data, ten couples from each of the three sample groups will be recruited for an in-depth face-to-face interview, with the partners interviewed separately. Interviews will more fully uncover the complex dynamics involved in the construction and maintenance of different work and care arrangements, and further explore the facilitators and barriers to downplaying gender-based considerations in parenting arrangements. The findings will inform discussions on better ways to support fathers’ caring responsibilities through workplace policies and legislation around paternity and shared parental leave. Ultimately, this project seeks to identify the means to create more balanced, fulfilling lives for both men and women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Anderson, Lewis R., Erzsébet Bukodi & Christiaan W. S. Monden (2021): Double Trouble: Does Job Loss Lead to Union Dissolution and Vice Versa? In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 37, H. 3, S. 379-398. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcaa060

Abstract

"A now-substantial literature claims that job loss and union dissolution (the end of a marriage or cohabiting relationship) each increase individuals' risk of the other, highlighting that major negative life events in the labour market and family can spill over across domains. We address three limitations of this research using UK data. First, these associations might arise from unmeasured factors which jointly predispose individuals to the two events. Second, the distinction between job loss (an event) and unemployment (the state it may lead to) has been neglected. Third, where the impact of unemployment has been considered, its duration has not. We simultaneously model both processes: does job loss (or being unemployed) lead to union dissolution, and does union dissolution (or being divorced/separated) lead to job loss? To investigate the role of unobserved, time-invariant confounders, we model the individual-specific effects as random variables allowed to correlate across the models for the two outcomes. Upon allowing such cross-process correlations, we find that job loss and union dissolution have modest and non-significant prospective associations with one another. We also find no support for a connection between being divorced/separated and subsequent job loss. Unemployment appears to increase risk of union dissolution; by attending to duration we uncover gender differences in this relationship." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bartels, Charlotte & Cortnie Shupe (2021): Drivers of Participation Elasticities across Europe: Gender or Earner Role within the Household? (DIW-Diskussionspapiere 1969), Berlin, 61 S.

Abstract

"We compute participation tax rates across the EU and find that work disincentives inherent in tax-benefit systems largely depend on household composition and the individual’s earner role within the household. We then estimate participation elasticities using an IV group estimator that enables us to investigate the responsiveness of individuals to work incentives. We contribute to the literature on heterogeneous elasticities by providing estimates for breadwinners and secondary earners separately, according to their potential earnings rather than gender. Our results show an average participation elasticity of 0.0-0.1 among breadwinners and 0.1-0.4 among secondary earners in the EU as well as a high degree of heterogeneity across countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kang, Ji Young (2021): The Effects of Skill Regimes and Family Policies on the Gender Employment Gap. In: Social Politics, Jg. 28, H. 2, S. 359-384. DOI:10.1093/sp/jxz054

Abstract

"Drawing on the literature of gendering varieties of capitalism, this study empirically tests whether skill regimes moderate the association between family policy and the gender employment gap. Using the Luxembourg Income Study for fifteen countries with multilevel analysis and various gender employment indicators, this study finds that general skill regimes are associated with a smaller gender employment gap in full-time jobs, high-skilled jobs, and in the private sector. The effects of parental leave vary significantly by skill regimes, suggesting that patterns of gender employment gap associated with parental leave differ by types of skill regimes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kowalewska, Helen & Agnese Vitali (2021): Breadwinning or on the breadline? Female breadwinners' economic characteristics across 20 welfare states. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 31, H. 2, S. 125-142. DOI:10.1177/0958928720971094

Abstract

"In analysing heterosexual couples’ work–family arrangements over time and space, the comparative social policy literature has settled on the framework of the ‘male-breadwinner’ versus the ‘dual-earner’ family. Yet, in assuming men in couple-families are (full-time) employed, this framework overlooks another work–family arrangement, which is the ‘female-breadwinner’ couple. Including female-breadwinner couples matters because of their growing prevalence and, as our analysis shows, greater economic vulnerability. We perform descriptive and regression analyses of Luxembourg Income Study microdata to compare household incomes for female-breadwinner couples and other couple-types across 20 industrialized countries. We then consider how labour earnings and benefit incomes vary for ‘pure’ breadwinner couples – comprising one wage-earner and one inactive/unemployed partner – according to the gender of the breadwinner. We find that pure female breadwinners have lower average individual earnings than male breadwinners, even after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and occupational and working-time differences. Furthermore, welfare systems across most countries are not working hard enough to compensate for the female breadwinner earnings penalty, including in social-democratic countries. Once controls are included in our regression models, it never happens that pure female breadwinners have higher disposable household incomes than pure male breadwinners. Thus, our study adds to a growing body of evidence showing that female-breadwinner families sit at the intersection of multiple disadvantages. In turn, these couples offer comparative scholars of the welfare state an ‘acid test’ case study for how effectively families are protected from social risk. Our results additionally highlight how cross-national differences in the female breadwinner income disadvantage do not fit neatly with established welfare typologies, suggesting that other factors – in particular, labour market characteristics and the economic cycle – are also at play." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Millar, Jane (2021): Families, Work and Care: Qualitative Longitudinal Research and Policy Engagement. In: Social Policy and Society, Jg. 20, H. 4, S. 629-634. DOI:10.1017/S1474746420000482

Abstract

"Qualitative longitudinal research can make a distinctive contribution to policy discussions and to the assessment of outcomes. This article draws on research with lone-parent families over fifteen years to illustrate how change and continuity can look different over shorter and longer time periods, to discuss presenting longitudinal qualitative evidence through the selection of case studies, and to explore some of the challenges of engaging in policy debates with qualitative data." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Olsen, Karen M. (2021): Employment Trade-Offs under Different Family Policy Constellations. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 35, H. 1, S. 37-56. DOI:10.1177/0950017019892827

Abstract

"This article examines how employees consolidate the spheres of work and family in three countries with different family policy constellations: Sweden, Germany and Great Britain. The analyses are based on data from the International Social Survey Programme, 2015. Building on family policy typologies, the study demonstrates how gender and family and employment demands interact with the institutional setting regarding how people make employment trade-offs. The results show that (1) employees in Sweden make the fewest employment trade-offs, (2) family demands exert a gendered effect on employment trade-offs in Germany and (3) employment demands have both similar and distinct gender effects across countries. The article contributes to the literature by showing how individual characteristics interact with family policy constellations. The findings provide little support for a welfare-state paradox regarding family demands but some support with regard to employment demands." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bautista Lacambra, Sergio (2020): Household labor supply: Collective results for certain developed countries. (MPRA paper / University Library of Munich 101514), München, 29 S.

Abstract

"This paper shows some empirical results for the collective labor supply of households in thirteen developed countries (USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Japan, and China). I have reviewed a significant number of papers in order to aggregate information for future investigations. Among the conclusions obtained are a gender differential in labor supply when the household includes a child, and a greater level of female household production. This analysis shows that gender differences observed in other literature persist throughout the consulted literature." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Falkenberg, Helena, Petra Lindfors, Tarani Chandola & Jenny Head (2020): Do gender and socioeconomic status matter when combining work and family: Could control at work and at home help? Results from the Whitehall II study. In: Economic and Industrial Democracy, Jg. 41, H. 1, S. 29-54. DOI:10.1177/0143831X16682307

Abstract

"Work and family are sources of both satisfaction and conflicting demands. A challenge is to identify individuals at risk for conflict and factors that potentially reduce conflict. This study investigated how gender and socioeconomic status (SES) were associated with work - family interference (WFI) and family - work interference (FWI) and how control at work and at home related to WFI and FWI. Data from 1991 - 1993 and 1997 - 1999 of the Whitehall II study of British civil servants, including 3484 (827 women and 2657 men) employees in three SES-levels, were analysed. Women reported a higher risk for WFI and FWI. High SES employees reported higher WFI. Less control at home increased risks for WFI and FWI as did low control at work but only for WFI. This suggests that high SES women are especially at risk for conflict and that aspects from the spheres of both work and home should be considered in further research and practice." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Flèche, Sarah, Anthony Lepinteur & Nattavudh Powdthavee (2020): Gender norms, fairness and relative working hours within households. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 65. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2020.101866

Abstract

"Using data in the United States, UK and Germany, we show that women whose working hours exceed those of their male partners report lower life satisfaction on average. By contrast, men do not report lower life satisfaction from working more hours than their female partners. An analysis of possible mechanisms shows that in couples where the woman works more hours than the man, women do not spend significantly less time doing household chores. Women with egalitarian ideologies are likely to perceive this unequal division of labour as unfair, ultimately reducing their life satisfaction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2020 Elsevier) ((en))

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García-Faroldi, Livia (2020): Mothers’ Autonomy or Social Constraints? Coherence and Inconsistency Between Attitudes and Employment Trajectories in Different Welfare Regimes. In: Social Politics, Jg. 27, H. 1, S. 97-127. DOI:10.1093/sp/jxy030

Abstract

"This paper examines the coherence between mothers’ work–family attitudes and behaviors using data from the Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Norway, and Spain from ISSP (1994, 2002, and 2012). Findings show that mothers’ attitudes are more constrained than Hakim’s preference theory suggests: (i) Between one- and two-thirds of mothers experience inconsistency between preferences and employment. (ii) Norwegian and Czech mothers’ agency has increased in this period, while in Germany and Spain results are mixed. (iii) The options of British mothers with preschool children have worsened. (iv) Norway currently has the greatest coherence between preferences and employment trajectories." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mandel, Hadas, Amit Lazarus & Maayan Shaby (2020): Economic Exchange or Gender Identities? Housework Division and Wives' Economic Dependency in Different Contexts. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 36, H. 6, S. 831-851. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcaa023

Abstract

"This paper explores cross-country variation in the relationship between division of housework and wives' relative economic contribution. Using ISSP 2012 data from 19 countries, we examined the effect of two contextual factors: women's employment rates, which we link to economic exchange theories; and gender ideology context, which we link to cultural theories. In line with economic-based theories, economic exchange between housework and paid work occurs in all countries—but only in households which follow normative gender roles. However, and consistent with the cultural-based theory of 'doing gender', wives undertake more housework than their spouses in all countries—even if they are the main or sole breadwinners. This universal gendered division of housework is significantly more salient in more conservative countries; as the context turns more conservative, the gender gap becomes more pronounced, and the relationship between paid and unpaid work further removed from the economic logic. In gender egalitarian societies, in contrast, women have more power in negotiating housework responsibilities in non-normative gender role households. In contrast to gender ideology, the cross-country variations in women's employment did not follow the expectations that derive from the economic exchange theory." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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McMunn, Anne, Lauren Bird, Elizabeth Webb & Amanda Sacker (2020): Gender divisions of paid and unpaid work in contemporary UK couples. In: Work, employment and society, Jg. 34, H. 2, S. 155-173. DOI:10.1177/0950017019862153

Abstract

"This article uses data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study to describe how contemporary British couples divide a range of work types. Our findings support the hypothesis, suggested by previous authors, that a shared egalitarian ideology is required for gender equality in divisions of work. In response to bargaining theories, the article also hypothesises that differentials in educational attainment within couples are more strongly associated with gender divisions of work when a couple's gender ideology is in conflict. Interaction analysis does not support this hypothesis." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Huppatz, Kate, Kate Sang & Jemina Napier (2019): 'If you put pressure on yourself to produce then that's your responsibility': Mothers' experiences of maternity leave and flexible work in the neoliberal university. In: Gender, work & organization, Jg. 26, H. 6, S. 772-788. DOI:10.1111/gwao.12314

Abstract

"Women remain underrepresented in senior positions within universities and report barriers to career progression. Drawing on the concepts of Foucault and Bourdieu, with an emphasis on technologies of the self, this article aims to understand mothers' academic career experiences. Interviews were conducted with 35 non-STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine) academics in Scotland and Australia, to reveal the gender dimensions of parents' academic careers, in neoliberal university contexts. The data suggest that there are tensions between organizational policies, such as maternity leave and flexible work, and the contemporary demands of academic labour. New managerial discourses which individualize and make use of moral systems are particularly effectual in driving women to take up marketized research activity and compromise leave entitlements." (Author's abstract, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Solera, Cristina (2019): Do 'his' education and class matter? The changing effect of the husband on women's labour-market transitions in Italy and Britain. In: The British journal of sociology, Jg. 70, H. 2, S. 526-550. DOI:10.1111/1468-4446.12373

Abstract

"A new stream of sociological and demographic theory emphasizes individualization as the key process in late modernity. As maintained by Hakim (2000), women also have increasingly become agents of their own biographies, less influenced by the social class and the family. In this study, I intend to contribute to this debate by analysing how, in Italy and Britain, women's movements between employment and housework are linked to their husband's education and class, and how this link has changed across cohorts. Using discrete-time event-history modelling on the BHPS and ILFI, my findings show that in both countries, if the woman's educational and labour-market profile is controlled for, the husband's occupation and education have lost importance. Yet, although based more on 'her' than 'his' profile, divisions along 'classic' lines are still evident and not context-free, and they assume different forms in the two countries with distinctive institutional and cultural settings. In 'liberal' Britain, women's labour-market participation responds more to motherhood and class than to education, while in 'familistic' Italy education seems more important, which suggests the existence of returns over and above strictly human capital/economic ones." (Author's abstract, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Stafford, Mai, Rebecca Lacey, Emily Murray, Ewan Carr, Maria Fleischmann, Stephen Stansfeld, Baowen Xue, Paola Zaninotto, Jenny Head, Diana Kuh & Anne McMunn (2019): Work-family life course patterns and work participation in later life. In: European journal of ageing, Jg. 16, H. 1, S. 83-94. DOI:10.1007/s10433-018-0470-7

Abstract

"Many developed nations seek to increase older people's work participation. Work and family are linked to paid work in later life, and to each other. Few studies combined work and family histories using multichannel sequence analysis capturing status and timing of transitions in relation to work in later life. Using the MRC National Survey of Health and Development, for whom State Pension Age was age 65 (men) or 60 (women), we examined paid work at age 60 - 64 (and age 68 - 69 for men only) by work - family patterns across 35 years (ages 16 - 51). Women's later work was related to the combination of timing of children and work during family formation. Women who had children later were more likely to work full-time at age 60 - 64 compared to the reference [characterised by continuous full-time employment, marriage, and children from their early 20s; adjusted OR 5.36 (95% CI 1.84, 15.60)]. Earlier motherhood was associated with lower likelihood of work at age 60 - 64 among those who did not return to work before age 51, but those who took a work break did not differ from those who worked continuously. Providing jobs which allow parents to combine work and family (e.g. part-time jobs) may encourage them to extend their working lives. In addition, men and women characterised by continuous full-time work and no children were less likely to work in their sixties. Associations were not explained by childhood health and social class, education, caregiving, housing tenure, or limiting illness. Research is needed to understand why childless people work less in later life." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sánchez-Mira, Núria & Jacqueline O'Reilly (2019): Household employment and the crisis in Europe. In: Work, employment and society, Jg. 33, H. 3, S. 422-443. DOI:10.1177/0950017018809324

Abstract

"The 2008 crisis had a significant impact on household employment in some European countries. An analysis of the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions generated a new cross-national typology of household employment structures and showed how these changed during the crisis and austerity period, capturing the experiences of high and low qualified households. Findings indicate that dual earning households are not always a consequence of gender equality but result from economic necessity or employment opportunities. The re-emergence of traditional male breadwinner households is often the result of female unemployment, especially for lower educated women. An increase in female single earners and workless households is evident in countries hit hardest by the employment crisis. The value of this cross-national typology, rooted in the interaction of educational effects and employment opportunities, is allowing comparison both within and between European countries, going beyond established typologies based on policy frameworks or gender cultures." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Uunk, Wilfred & Philipp M. Lersch (2019): The effect of regional gender-role attitudes on female labour supply. A longitudinal test using the BHPS, 1991-2007. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 35, H. 5, S. 669-683. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcz026

Abstract

"Despite considerable variation in gender-role attitudes across contexts and its claimed influence on female labour supply, studies provide little support for a contextual gender-role attitude effect. In this study, we reassess the contextual gender-role attitude effect on female labour supply because earlier studies are hampered by two shortcomings: (a) they are cross-nationally comparative, which makes it difficult to distinguish contextual attitude from institutional effects; (b) they are cross-sectional, which may bias the contextual attitude effect. We aim to overcome these shortcomings by performing longitudinal panel analyses on data from the British Household Panel Survey 1991 - 2007, comparing 138 counties within the United Kingdom. Our fixed-effects regressions report no significant and substantial association of regional, egalitarian gender-role attitudes with individual women's labour supply, a finding which both holds for women's probability to be active in the labour market and employed women's working hours, and for women with and without (young) children. Female labour supply appears to be much stronger associated with women's own and partners' gender-role attitudes, in particular for women with (young) children." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Barglowski, Karolina & Paula Pustulka (2018): Tightening early childcare choices - gender and social class inequalities among Polish mothers in Germany and the UK. In: Comparative Migration Studies, Jg. 6, S. 1-16. DOI:10.1186/s40878-018-0102-6

Abstract

"Care for young children continues to highly influence the life chances of men and women, even more so when they are migrants. For migrant women, childcare remains a particular challenge when their kin are absent and the gendered norms of work and family life abroad diverge from what they have known in the country of origin. This article contributes to a deeper understanding of social class and childcare strategies of migrant women by combining two research projects with migrants from Poland to Germany and the UK. Accounts represented in this article depict the ways in which migrant mothers interpret and use the available childcare options, thereby highlighting how class-based resources are deployed and reproduced in two different welfare regimes. The comparative approach pursued in the article reveals that it is neither class nor national context that has a capacity to determine early childcare choices on its own. Instead, it is an intricate interplay of social protections' availability, gender norms and social class, which together engender various childcare strategies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bartels, Charlotte & Cortnie Shupe (2018): Drivers of participation elasticities across Europe. Gender or earner role within the household? (IZA discussion paper 11359), Bonn, 41 S.

Abstract

"We compute participation tax rates across the EU and find that work disincentives inherent in tax-benefit systems largely depend on household composition and the individual's earner role within the household. We then estimate participation elasticities using an IV Group estimator that enables us to investigate the responsiveness of individuals to work incentives. We contribute to the literature on heterogeneous elasticities by providing estimates for different socioeconomic groups by country, gender and earner role within the household. Our results show an average elasticity of 0.08 for men and of 0.14 for women as well as a high degree of heterogeneity across countries. The commonly cited difference in elasticities between men and women stems predominantly from the earner role of the individual within the household and nearly disappears once we control for this factor." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bick, Alexander, Bettina Brüggemann, Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln & Hannah Paule-Paludkiewicz (2018): Long-term changes in married couples' labor supply and taxes. Evidence from the US and Europe since the 1980s. (IZA discussion paper 11824), Bonn, 35 S.

Abstract

"We document the time-series of employment rates and hours worked per employed by married couples in the US and seven European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the UK) from the early 1980s through 2016. Relying on a model of joint household labor supply decisions, we quantitatively analyze the role of nonlinear labor income taxes for explaining the evolution of hours worked of married couples over time, using as inputs the full country- and year-specific statutory labor income tax codes. We further evaluate the role of consumption taxes, gender and educational wage premia, and the educational composition. The model is quite successful in replicating the time series behavior of hours worked per employed married woman, with labor income taxes being the key driving force. It does however capture only part of the secular increase in married women's employment rates in the 1980s and early 1990s, suggesting an important role for factors not considered in this paper. We will make the non-linear tax codes used as an input into the analysis available as a user-friendly and easily integrable set of Matlab codes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hu, Yang & Deniz Yucel (2018): What Fairness? Gendered Division of Housework and Family Life Satisfaction across 30 Countries. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 34, H. 1, S. 92-105. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcx085

Abstract

"This article sheds new light on the role played by perceived fairness in configuring the relationship between gendered housework division and women's family life satisfaction across 30 countries. This is achieved by distinguishing and comparing two major dimensions of women's fairness comparison -- inter-gender relational comparison between partners and intra-gender referential comparison with other women from the same society. Analysing data from the 2012 International Social Survey Programme, we find that women's family life satisfaction is adversely affected by both a lack of relational fairness and unfavourable referential comparison, which operate independently of each other. Supporting the 'self-serving' theory, women are found to rely more on one dimension of fairness comparison to assess their family life satisfaction when they compare unfavourably rather than favourably in the other dimension. Country-level gender equality positively predicts the strength of the association between relational fairness and family life satisfaction. However, it does not seem to moderate the influence of referential comparison on family life satisfaction. In light of these results, scholars are urged to consider the perceived fairness of housework division as a plural construct, and to promulgate gender equality in multiple dimensions -- addressing not just inter-gender (in)equity but also intra-gender (in)equality -- to move the gender revolution forward." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Meliou, Elina & Tim Edwards (2018): Relational practices and reflexivity: Exploring the responses of women entrepreneurs to changing household dynamics. In: International Small Business Journal, Jg. 36, H. 2, S. 149-168. DOI:10.1177/0266242617724858

Abstract

"This qualitative study explores how and why women, positioned as mothers, wives, or carers, navigate changing household dynamics, related to care and reproductive resources, and become entrepreneurial. Drawing on relational reflexivity, we show how women's embodied, intimate relations with important others in the household form the focal point for entrepreneurial activities and offer evidence of their entrepreneurial agency. Our analysis reveals the emergence of three relational practices that result in a new venture as the entrepreneurial response of women. We critically evaluate normative analyses on gender, entrepreneurship, and household." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Stier, Haya, Noah Lewin-Epstein & Michael Braun (2018): Institutional change and women's work patterns along the family life course. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 57, H. October, S. 46-55. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2018.07.001

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Altintas, Evrim & Oriel Sullivan (2017): Trends in fathers' contribution to housework and childcare under different welfare policy regimes. In: Social Politics, Jg. 24, H. 1, S. 81-108. DOI:10.1093/sp/jxw007

Abstract

"This article brings up to date welfare regime differences in the time fathers spend on childcare and core housework, using Multinational Time Use Study data (1971 - 2010) from fifteen countries. Although Nordic fathers continue to set the bar, the results provide some support for the idea of a catch-up in core housework among Southern regime fathers. The results also suggest an increasing polarization in Liberal countries, whereby fathers who were meaningfully involved in family life were increasingly likely to spend more time doing core housework and, particularly, childcare. Fathers living in Corporatist countries have been least responsive to change." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bryan, Mark L. & Almudena Sevilla (2017): Flexible working in the UK and its impact on couples' time coordination. In: Review of Economics of the Household, Jg. 15, H. 4, S. 1415-1437. DOI:10.1007/s11150-017-9389-6

Abstract

"The ability to combine work with quality time together as a family is at the heart of the concept of work-life balance. Using previously unexploited data on couples' work schedules we investigate the effect of flexible working on couples' coordination of their daily work schedules in the UK. We consider three distinct dimensions of flexible working: flexibility of daily start and finish times (flexitime), flexibility of work times over the year (annualized hours), and generalized control of working hours. We show that having flexitime at work increases a couple's amount of coordination of their daily work schedules by a half to 1?h, which is double the margin of adjustment enjoyed by couples with no flexitime. The impact is driven by couples with children. In contrast to flexitime, the other two forms of flexible working do not seem to increase synchronous time. Our results suggest that having flexitime plays an important role in relaxing the work scheduling constraints faced by families with young children, and that effective flexible working time arrangements are those that increase the worker's and not the employer's flexibility." (Author's abstract, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Goussé, Marion, Nicolas Jacquemet & Jean-Marc Robin (2017): Marriage, labor supply, and home production. In: Econometrica, Jg. 85, H. 6, S. 1873-1919. DOI:10.3982/ECTA11221

Abstract

"We develop a search model of marriage where men and women draw utility from private consumption and leisure, and from a non-market good that is produced in the home using time resources. We condition individual decisions on wages, education, and an index of family attitudes. A match-specific, stochastic bliss shock induces variation in matching given wages, education, and family values, and triggers renegotiation and divorce. Using BHPS (1991 - 2008) data, we take as given changes in wages, education, and family values by gender, and study their impact on marriage decisions and intrahousehold resource allocation. The model allows to evaluate how much of the observed gender differences in labor supply results from wages, education, and family attitudes. We find that family attitudes are a strong determinant of comparative advantages in home production of men and women, whereas education complementarities induce assortative mating through preferences." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hagqvist, Emma, Katja Gillander Gadin & Mikael Nordenmark (2017): Work-family conflict and well-being across Europe. The role of gender context. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 132, H. 2, S. 785-797. DOI:10.1007/s11205-016-1301-x

Abstract

"This study analysed whether gender context is important to differences in the relationship between work - family conflict (WFC) and well-being across Europe. We hypothesised that in countries that support equality in work life and where norms support women's employment, the relationship between WFC and low well-being is weaker than in countries with less support for gender equality. Cohabiting men and women aged 18 - 65 years from 25 European countries were selected from the European Social Survey. A multilevel analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between well-being and WFC, and two measurements were used to represent gender context: gender equality in work life and norms regarding women's employment. Contrary to the hypothesis, the results showed that the negative relationship was stronger in countries with high levels of gender equality in work life and support for women's employment than in countries with a relatively low level of gender equality in work life and support for traditional gender relations. The context in which gender is constructed may be important when studying the relationship between WFC and well-being. In addition, emphasis should be placed on policies that equalise both the labour market and the work performed at home." (Author's abstract, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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White, Linda A. (2017): Which ideas, whose norms? Comparing the relative influence of international organizations on paid maternity and parental leave policies in liberal welfare states. In: Social Politics, Jg. 24, H. 1, S. 55-80. DOI:10.1093/sp/jxw010

Abstract

"This article examines the adoption of paid maternity and parental leave policies in the liberal welfare states of Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom and investigates the domestic and international sources of policy ideas. Through comparative analysis using mainly qualitative techniques of analysis of primary and secondary sources and elite interviews, the article examines the decision-making processes in each of these jurisdictions. It finds the relative influence of international organizations to be rather limited in comparison to domestic sources of influence, including the election of leftist governments under sympathetic party leaders and in the context of human capital concerns." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Brewer, Mike, Sarah Cattan, Claire Crawford & Birgitta Rabe (2016): Free childcare and parents' labour supply. Is more better? (IZA discussion paper 10415), Bonn, 44 S.

Abstract

"Despite the introduction of childcare subsidies in many countries, the cost of childcare is still thought to hinder parental employment. Many governments are considering increasing the generosity of their childcare subsidies, but the a priori effect of such a policy is ambiguous and little is known empirically about its likely impact. This paper compares the effects on parents' labour supply of offering free part-time childcare and of expanding this offer to the whole school day in England using an empirical strategy which, unlike previous studies, exploits both date of birth discontinuities and panel data. We find that the provision of free part-time childcare has little, if any, causal impact on the labour market outcomes of mothers or fathers. Increasing the number of hours of free childcare to cover a full school day, however, leads to significant increases in the labour supply of mothers whose youngest child is eligible, with impacts emerging immediately and increasing over the months following entitlement." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dieckhoff, Martina, Vanessa Gash, Antje Mertens & Laura Romeu Gordo (2016): A stalled revolution? What can we learn from women's drop-out to part-time jobs. A comparative analysis of Germany and the UK. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 46, H. December/Pt. B, S. 129-140. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2016.09.001

Abstract

"This study examines how within-couple inequalities, that is power differences between men and women in a partnership, act as predictors of transitions from full-time to part-time employment applying Heckman corrected probit models in three different institutional and cultural contexts; Eastern Germany, Western Germany and the United Kingdom. The analyses show that when women are in a weaker position within their relationships they are more likely to drop-out of full-time work, but that this propensity varies by context. The authors also find an increased tendency over time for women to leave full-time for part-time employment in both Eastern and Western Germany, but observe no such trend in the UK. This is suggestive of ongoing incompatibilities in the institutional support for equality in dual-earning in Germany. The study uses longitudinal data covering the period 1992 until 2012 from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) for Germany and from the British Household Panel (BHPS) and the 'Understanding Society' data for the UK." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kan, Man-Yee & Heather Laurie (2016): Gender, ethnicity and household labour in married and cohabiting couples in the UK. (ISER working paper 2016-01), Colchester, 22 S.

Abstract

"There is an extensive literature on the domestic division of labour within married and cohabiting couples and its relationship to gender equality within and outside the household. UK quantitative research on the domestic division of labour across ethnic groups has been limited by a lack of data that enables disaggregation by ethnic group. This paper uses data from Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study containing sufficient sample sizes of ethnic minority groups for meaningful comparisons. We find significant variations in patterns of domestic labour by ethnic group, gender, education and employment status after accounting for individual and household characteristics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mankarta, Jochen & Rigas Oikonomou (2016): The rise of the added worker effect. In: Economics Letters, Jg. 143, H. June, S. 48-51. DOI:10.1016/j.econlet.2016.03.019

Abstract

"We document that the added worker effect (AWE) has increased over the last three decades. We develop a search model with two earner households and we illustrate that the increase in the AWE from the 1980s to the 2000s can be explained through the narrowing of the gender pay gap, changes in the frictions in the labor market and changes in the labor force participation costs of married women." (Author's abstract, © 2016 Elsevier) ((en))

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Berghammer, Caroline & Roland Verwiebe (2015): Die Verbreitung des Doppelernährer- und Doppelbetreuermodells in fünf Ländern Europas. In: WSI-Mitteilungen, Jg. 68, H. 2, S. 116-124. DOI:10.5771/0342-300X-2015-2-116

Abstract

"Ausgangspunkt unserer Analysen ist das Argument einer Reihe von Studien, dass die Gleichheit der Geschlechter am besten verwirklicht ist, wenn beide Eltern sich in gleichem Ausmaß am Arbeitsmarkt und an der Kinderbetreuung beteiligen. Der Beitrag beschreibt Trends im sogenannten Doppelernährermodell (beide Eltern arbeiten Vollzeit) in Deutschland, Frankreich, Großbritannien, Österreich und Spanien von 1998 bis 2010 und untersucht die Aufteilung der Kinderbetreuungszeit in diesen Paarhaushalten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Bryan, Mark L. & Simonetta Longhi (2015): Getting back into work after job loss. The role of partner effects. (ISER working paper 2015-11), Colchester, 33 S.

Abstract

"We investigate the reaction of couples to a job loss during periods of growth and recession in the UK focussing on re-employment of the spouse who lost their job. Re-employment was faster for those with a partner in work, but was not generally affected by other measures of the partner's labour market attachment or resources. For men, the strongest partner effects were for entry into high quality jobs; and having a working partner substantially mitigated the negative impact of the recession on entry into these jobs. For women, an employed partner was associated with a greater likelihood of re-entry into any type of job. Hence, while dual earner families may be able to restore the pre-job loss income level, single earner families are more likely to be trapped in cycles of low-quality jobs and no jobs leading to a decrease in household income over time. The difference in outcomes between single and dual earner couples is likely to increase during recessions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hipp, Lena & Kathrin Leuze (2015): Von wegen Partnerschaftlichkeit. Erwerbsarbeit ist bei den meisten Paaren in Europa und den USA ungleich verteilt. In: WZB-Mitteilungen H. 149, S. 18-20.

Abstract

"Warum teilen Paare in manchen Ländern bezahlte Arbeit egalitärer auf als in anderen? Die Analysen repräsentativer Daten aus Europa und den USA zeigen, dass diese Arbeitszeitunterschiede in den Ländern geringer ausfallen, in denen Einkommen individuell besteuert werden, Kinderbetreuung gut ausgebaut ist, Männer und Frauen ähnliche Stundenlöhne für gleiche Arbeit bekommen und in denen egalitäre Geschlechternormen vorherrschen. Damit liefert die Untersuchung Erkenntnisse für die aktuelle Diskussion um 'Partnerschaftlichkeit'." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Inanc, Hande (2015): Unemployment and the timing of parenthood. Implications of partnership status and partner's employment. In: Demographic Research, Jg. 32, S. 219-250. DOI:10.4054/DemRes.2015.32.7

Abstract

"Background: In many countries, including the UK, unemployment is associated with earlier entries into motherhood. However, the implications of male unemployment are not straightforward.
Objective: The paper addresses this issue by investigating transition to first births in relation to unemployment experience as moderated by partnership status. It also examines the effects of both partners? employment statuses on transition into parenthood, focusing on the joint labour market status of cohabiting and married couples.
Methods: The impact of unemployment experience on the timing of parenthood is predicted using discrete time event history analysis. Data from the British Household Panel Study provide complete family and work histories. Unobserved heterogeneity is controlled for.
Results: Unemployment leads to earlier entries into parenthood for both men and women. However, its impact differs according to the relationship status in which it is experienced. Unemployed men who cohabit and unemployed women who are single have a higher probability of becoming parents. Among married individuals the timing of parenthood is determined largely by the labour market status of the female partner. Irrespective of the male's employment status, couples with employed female spouses have a substantially lower probability of becoming parents. Yet among women who are not in employment there is a delaying effect of unemployment compared to being economically inactive.
Conclusions: Different mechanisms explain the relationship between unemployment and fertility timing for non-married and married individuals. Neoclassical family models seem to determine parenthood timing among married individuals, whereas early parenthood among non-married individuals can be explained by an uncertainty reduction strategy or discouragement from marriage." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kleider, Hanna (2015): Paid and unpaid work. The impact of social policies on the gender division of labour. In: Journal of European social policy, Jg. 25, H. 5, S. 505-520. DOI:10.1177/0958928715610996

Abstract

"The varieties of capitalism (VOC) literature has offered one of the most influential explanations for cross-national variation in the gender division of labour. It argues that labour markets, which privilege specific as opposed to general skills, have a negative effect on women's employment and impede an egalitarian division of household labour. This article revisits one of the most prominent VOC studies: Iversen and Rosenbluth's empirical analysis of the 1994 International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) survey on gender relations. I argue that a gendered welfare perspective provides an alternative and more compelling explanation for the same outcomes. In my empirical analysis, I re-analyse Iversen and Rosenbluth's study using the more recent 2002 ISSP survey on gender relations. The empirical results lend little support to the VOC approach and show that a gendered welfare state perspective, measured using a novel summary index of defamilialization, explains the observed outcomes better. The evidence in support for the VOC explanation disappears when controlling for defamilializing social policies. This suggests that a previous VOC work on the gender division of labour has suffered from omitting crucial social policy controls. This article substantiates earlier critiques of VOC that have questioned its usefulness as an explanatory framework for gender-relevant outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Laurie, Heather, Karon Gush, James Scott, Mark Bryan & Simonetta Longhi (2015): Understanding the added worker effect. A multiple methods interpretation. (ISER working paper 2015-04), Colchester, 17 S.

Abstract

"This paper provides an integrated interpretation of qualitative and quantitative data examining how couples respond when one partner loses their job. According to economic theory there may be an 'Added Worker Effect' where, when one partner loses their job, their spouse enters the labour market or takes on additional hours to compensate. The paper uses a multiple methods approach to gain a fuller understanding of couples' responses pre and post the UK Great Recession and to explore the factors influencing couples' decision-making process when experiencing a job loss. The paper is therefore a synthesis of findings produced by quantitative and qualitative elements of the same project and aims to explore where the findings from each methodological strand of the research can contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of household decision making and couple's labour supply responses to job loss." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lyonette, Clare & Rosemary Crompton (2015): Sharing the load? Partners' relative earnings and the division of domestic labour. In: Work, employment and society, Jg. 29, H. 1, S. 23-40. DOI:10.1177/0950017014523661

Abstract

"One of the most pressing issues contributing to the persistence of gender inequality is the gendered division of domestic labour. Despite their entry into paid employment, women still carry out more domestic work than men, limiting their ability to act on an equal footing within the workplace. This qualitative research adds to the ongoing debate concerning the reasons for the persistence of the gendered nature of domestic work, by comparing working women who earn more, those who earn around the same and those who earn less than their male partners, as well as examining women's absolute incomes. On average, men whose partners earn more than they do carry out more housework than other men, although women in these partnerships still do more. However, these women actively contest their male partner's lack of input, simultaneously 'doing' and 'undoing' gender. The article also identifies class differences in the 'sharing' of domestic work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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McGinn, Kathleen L., Elizabeth Long Lingo & Mayra Ruiz Castro (2015): Mums the word! Cross-national effects of maternal employment on gender inequalities at work and at home. (Harvard Business School. Working paper 094), Boston, Mass., 43 S.

Abstract

"Our research considers how inequalities in public and the private spheres are affected by childhood exposure to non-traditional gender role models at home. We test the association between being raised by an employed mother and adult men's and women's outcomes at work and at home. Our analyses rely on national level archival data from multiple sources and individual level survey data collected as part of the International Social Survey Programme in 2002 and 2012 from nationally representative samples of men and women in 24 countries. Adult daughters of employed mothers are more likely to be employed, more likely to hold supervisory responsibility if employed, work more hours, and earn marginally higher wages than women whose mothers stayed home fulltime. The effects on labor market outcomes are non-significant for men. Maternal employment is also associated with adult outcomes at home. Sons raised by an employed mother spend more time caring for family members than men whose mothers stayed home fulltime, and daughters raised by an employed mother spend less time on housework than women whose mothers stayed home fulltime. Our findings reveal the potential for non-traditional gender role models to gradually erode gender inequality in homes and labor markets." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Monaghan, David (2015): Income inequality and educational assortative mating. Evidence from the Luxembourg income study. In: Social science research, Jg. 52, H. July, S. 253-269. DOI:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2015.02.001

Abstract

"Though extensive research has explored the prevalence of educational assortative mating, what causes its variation across countries and over time is not well understood. Using data from the Luxembourg Income Study Database, I investigate the hypothesis that assortative mating by income is influenced by income inequality between educational strata. I find that in countries with greater returns to education, the odds of any sort of union that crosses educational boundaries is substantially reduced. However, I do not find substantial evidence of an effect of changes in returns to education on marital sorting within countries. Educational and labor market parity between males and females appear to be negatively related to marital sorting." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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O¿Reilly, Jacqueline, Tiziana Nazio & José Manuel Roche (2014): Compromising conventions: attitudes of dissonance and indifference towards full-time maternal employment in Denmark, Spain, Poland and the UK. In: Work, employment and society, Jg. 28, H. 2, S. 168-188. DOI:10.1177/0950017013491307

Abstract

"The article examines cross-national variations in attitudes towards gender roles and the extent to which they map onto regime types. It explores intra-national variation in attitudes to non-traditional gendered behaviour drawing on the theoretical approach of the 'economy of conventions', informed by feminist perspectives from comparative research. Data from the European Social Survey are used to map where there is a strong degree of resonance or dissonance between societal and individual attitudes and how these are attenuated by sex and employment status. The results expose unexpected national and intra-national similarities and differences. Societies characterized by a traditional male breadwinner model, such as Spain, indicate a higher degree of permissive values than expected; more liberal countries like the UK show high degrees of indifference, as well as a strong element of traditionalism. Dissonance and indifference compromise traditional gendered conventions and illustrate underlying tensions at the individual and societal level in resolving gender conflicts." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bennett, Fran & Sirin Sung (2013): Dimensions of financial autonomy in low-/moderate-income couples from a gender perspective and implications for welfare reform. In: Journal of social policy, Jg. 42, H. 4, S. 701-719. DOI:10.1017/S0047279413000330

Abstract

"The 'unitary household' lives on in policymakers' assumptions about couples sharing their finances. Yet financial autonomy is seen as a key issue in gender relations, particularly for women. This article draws on evidence from semi-structured individual interviews with men and women in thirty low-/moderate-income couples in Britain. The interviews explored whether financial autonomy had any meaning to these individuals; and, if so, to what extent this was gendered in the sense of there being differences in men's and women's understanding of it. We develop a framework for the investigation of financial autonomy, involving several dimensions: achieving economic independence, having privacy in one's financial affairs and exercising agency in relation to household and/or personal spending. We argue that financial autonomy is a relevant issue for low-/moderate-income couples, and that women are more conscious of tensions between financial togetherness and autonomy due to their greater responsibility for managing togetherness and lower likelihood of achieving financial independence. Policymakers should therefore not discount the aspirations of women in particular for financial autonomy, even in low-/moderate-income couples where there remain significant obstacles to achieving this. Yet plans for welfare reform that rely on means testing and ignore intra-household dynamics in relation to family finances threaten to exacerbate these obstacles and reinforce a unitary family model." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Esping-Andersen, Gøsta, Diederik Boertien, Jens Bonke & Pablo Gracia (2013): Couple specialization in multiple equilibria. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 29, H. 6, S. 1280-1294. DOI:10.1093/esr/jct004

Abstract

"We address the issue of men's lagged adaptation to the ongoing revolution of women's roles. This article proposes a multiple equilibrium approach and shows how modes of couple specialization cluster around qualitatively distinct logics. We identify a traditional, egalitarian, and 'unstable' equilibrium. Theory posits that stable equilibria rest on strong normative abidance, and yield more equitable outcomes. In contrast, unstable equilibria are likely to exhibit inequitable behaviour. The latter, we believe, are a transitional feature in the historical shift away from traditional gender roles. Our exploration is based on time-use data for three countries that represent different stages in the revolution of women's roles: Britain, Denmark, and Spain. Our findings suggest that the consolidation of an egalitarian equilibrium, as is the case for Denmark, is associated with more homogeneity and gender equity in the division of labour. In Spain, the traditional equilibrium is still predominant. In Britain, the erosion of traditional specialization has not yet been met with a strong egalitarian alternative, as is manifested in the prevalence of 'unstable equilibrium' behaviour." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Schober, Pia S. (2013): The parenthood effect on gender inequality. Explaining the change in paid and domestic work when British couples become parents. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 29, H. 1, S. 74-85. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcr041

Abstract

"This study examines the importance of prenatal characteristics of men and women in couples for how they change their time spent on housework and paid work after the transition to parenthood. We focus on both partners' earnings and gender role attitudes as explanatory factors. Previous research explored the importance of women's relative income and both partners' gender role attitudes for the extent to which the division of labour becomes more traditional among new parents. We extend this literature by including women's absolute earnings, which may be crucial given the very high costs of formal childcare in Britain. The statistical analysis of 310 couples is based on 16 waves of the British Household Panel Survey (1992 - 2007) and applies OLS models with Heckman selection correction. The findings suggest that higher absolute wages and more egalitarian attitudes of women before motherhood reduce the shift towards a more traditional division of labour after couples have their first child. In the British context, higher relative wages of women compared to their partners are not significant." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Simister, John (2013): Is men's share of housework reduced by 'gender deviance neutralization'? Evidence from seven countries. In: Journal of comparative family studies, Jg. 44, H. 3, S. 311-325.

Abstract

"This paper investigates a theory regarding the amount of housework carried out by men, called the 'gender deviance neutralization' hypothesis: men seem more resistant to doing housework, and women seem to do more housework than expected, if the wife earns more than her husband. It appears that attitudes to gender roles influence the behaviour of women and men, as regards housework. This paper studies time spent on housework by husbands and wives, using household surveys in seven countries: Cameroon, Chad, Egypt, India, Kenya, Nigeria, and UK. Previous evidence of a 'curvilinear' pattern is confirmed, which can be interpreted as support for the gender deviance neutralization hypothesis. An aspect of this paper is that 'gender deviance neutralization' seems more common in countries where it is rare for a woman to be the main earner - such as Egypt and India. In such traditional (gender-asymmetric) countries, men appear even more resistant to doing housework than in more modern (more gender-symmetrical) countries such as UK and Kenya. Domestic violence between husband and wife seems to be relevant to housework and women's earnings. In some households, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) may be a response by a husband to his reduction in control over household decisions. There is some evidence that a husband's alcohol consumption is related to the likelihood of GBV occurring in that household. Interactions between alcohol, domestic violence, and gender roles all seem to be inter-related with the distribution of housework between husband and wife." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Doiron, Denise & Silvia Mendolia (2012): The impact of job loss on family dissolution. In: Journal of population economics, Jg. 25, H. 1, S. 367-398. DOI:10.1007/s00148-010-0353-5

Abstract

"The impact of involuntary job displacements on the probability of divorce is analysed using discrete duration models. The analysis uses the sample of couples from the British Household Panel Survey and distinguishes between types of displacements. Results show that couples in which the husband experiences a job loss are more likely to divorce. Redundancies have small, positive, often insignificant and short-lived effects while dismissals and temporary job endings have larger positive impacts. This is consistent with the interpretation of redundancies as capturing negative income shocks while other types of job loss also convey new information about potential future earnings and match quality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gash, Vanessa, Antje Mertens & Laura Romeu Gordo (2012): The influence of changing hours of work on women's life satisfaction. In: The Manchester School, Jg. 80, H. 1, S. 51-74. DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9957.2011.02255.x

Abstract

"This paper asks whether moving to part-time work makes women happy. Previous research on labour supply has assumed that as workers freely choose their optimal working hours on the basis of their innate preferences and the hourly wage rate, outcome reflects preference. This paper tests this assumption by measuring the impact of changes in working hours on life satisfaction in two countries (the UK and Germany using the German Socio-Economic Panel and the British Household Panel Survey). We find decreases in working hours bring about positive and significant improvement on well-being for women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kreyenfeld, Michaela, Gunnar Andersson & Ariane Pailhe (2012): Economic uncertainty and family dynamics in Europe. Introduction. In: Demographic Research, Jg. 27, S. 835-852. DOI:10.4054/DemRes.2012.27.28

Abstract

"Background - Economic uncertainty has become an increasingly important factor in explanations of declining fertility and postponed family formation across Europe. Yet the micro-level evidence on this topic is still limited.
Objective - This special collection of Demographic Research focuses on the issue of how economic and employment uncertainties relate to fertility and family dynamics in Europe.
Methods - The collection is comprised of studies that explore how various dimensions of employment uncertainty, such as temporary working contracts and individual and aggregate unemployment, are related to the fertility and family formation of women and men across Europe. The studies cover Germany, the UK, France, Russia, Estonia, Sweden, Italy, Spain, and Israel.
Results - The various micro-level studies that are assembled in this special collection do not provide a simple answer to the question of whether and how economic uncertainty suppresses (or stimulates) fertility. However, some systematic variation by welfare state regime is discernable.
Conclusions - Given the recent economic volatility in Europe, we expect that labor market uncertainties will remain an important component of explanations of fertility developments in the 21st century." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Reich, Nora, Christina Boll & Julian Sebastian Leppin (2012): Fathers' childcare and parental leave policies. Evidence from western European countries and Canada. (HWWI research paper 115), Hamburg, 21 S.

Abstract

"The study at hand pursues the following question: How are national parental leave arrangements related to fathers' participation in and time used for childcare? To answer this question, we merge data from the Multinational Time Use Study (MTUS) with national parental leave characteristics. Specifically, we are using 30 surveys from eight industrialised countries from 1971 to 2005. Applying a selection model, we are estimating fathers' participation in childcare and the minutes per day spent on childcare. We control for the following parental leave characteristics: duration of leave, amount of benefits and the number of weeks reserved for the father. The main results are that duration of parental leave, exclusive weeks for the father and any benefit compared to no benefit have a positive impact on fathers' childcare participation. Parental leave weeks reserved for the father and parental leave benefits affect fathers' minutes of childcare positively. It is concluded that parental leave characteristics have effects on fathers' childcare participation and time spent on childcare, but that parental leave policies have to be evaluated within the framework of each country's family policy package." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Reich, Nora (2012): Fathers' childcare. The difference between participation and amount of time. (HWWI research paper 116), Hamburg, 34 S.

Abstract

"The main research question of this article is whether and how predictors of fathers' participation in childcare, defined as zero versus more than zero minutes of childcare, differ from predictors of participating fathers' amount of time on childcare, measured as minutes on the survey day. The sample is drawn from the Multinational Time Use Study (MTUS) and covers surveys from ten industrialised countries from 1987 to 2005. Results show that there are remarkable differences between factors influencing participation in childcare and factors associated with participating fathers' time spent with children. For example, the educational level has a strong impact on fathers' participation, but not on the amount of time spent on childcare. In contrast, work hours and whether data refer to a weekday or a weekend day hardly affect participation, but strongly affect fathers' time for childcare. There are also noticeable differences between the countries and between different points in time regarding factors influencing childcare participation and time. Results call for caution regarding findings from existing studies not distinguishing participation from participating fathers' childcare minutes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Adsera, Alicia (2011): The interplay of employment uncertainty and education in explaining second births in Europe. In: Demographic Research, Jg. 25, S. 513-544. DOI:10.4054/DemRes.2011.25.16

Abstract

"Periods of high and persistent unemployment since the late 1980s as well as an upward trend in the share of temporary employment characterize recent labor market instability in Europe. This paper analyzes the associations between timing to a second birth and changing economic environment. In particular, it focuses in understanding what dimensions of economic uncertainty affect women with different educational background. First it employs time varying measures of aggregate market conditions for women in twelve European countries as well as micro-measures of each woman's labor market history in a proportional hazard model of second births. Both individual and aggregate unemployment as well as temporary employment are coupled with later second births. Unemployment slows down childbearing plans, particularly for the least educated, whereas holding a very short contract deters the most educated. Second, I use the 2006 Spanish Fertility Survey to show how education and the economic conditions - provincial unemployment and share of temporary employment- faced by women as they enter the labor market in their early twenties are connected with their timing to second births." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Blundell, Richard, Marco Francesconi & Wilbert van der Klaauw (2011): Anatomy of welfare reform evaluation. Announcement and implementation effects. (IZA discussion paper 6050), Bonn, 60 S.

Abstract

"This paper formulates a simple model of female labor force decisions which embeds an in-work benefit reform and explicitly allows for announcement and implementation effects. We explore several mechanisms through which women can respond to the announcement of a reform that increases in-work benefits, including sources of intertemporal substitution, human capital accumulation, and labor market frictions. Using the model's insights and information of the precise timing of the announcement and implementation of a major UK in-work benefit reform, we estimate its effects on single mothers' behavior. We find important announcement effects on employment decisions. We show that this finding is consistent with the presence of short-run frictions in the labor market. Evaluations of this reform which ignore such effects produce impact effect estimates that are biased downwards by 15 to 35 percent." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Boll, Christina, Julian Leppin & Nora Reich (2011): Einfluss der Elternzeit von Vätern auf die familiale Arbeitsteilung im internationalen Vergleich. (HWWI policy paper 59), Hamburg, 136 S.

Abstract

"Die Arbeitsteilung von Müttern und Vätern in Familie und Beruf hat sich in den letzten Jahrzehnten in den meisten Ländern verschoben. Mütter gehen zunehmend einer bezahlten Erwerbstätigkeit nach, und immer mehr Väter wollen Verantwortung für Familienaufgaben übernehmen. Es stellt sich daher die Frage, inwiefern diese Trends in der Zeitverwendung die traditionelle geschlechtsspezifische Rollenteilung verändert haben und ob Metavariablen auf der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Ebene wie die Frauenerwerbsquote oder aber auch familienpolitische Faktoren wie Regelungen zum Elterngeld die individuelle Zeitverwendung der Eltern beeinflusst haben." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Bryan, Mark L. & Almudena Sevilla-Sanz (2011): Does housework lower wages? Evidence for Britain. In: Oxford economic papers, Jg. 63, H. 1, S. 187-210. DOI:10.1093/oep/gpq011

Abstract

"This paper uses the British Household Panel Survey to present the first estimates of the housework-wage relationship in Britain. Controlling for permanent unobserved heterogeneity, we find that housework has a negative impact on the wages of men and women, both married and single, who work full-time. Among women working part-time, only single women suffer a housework penalty. The housework penalty is uniform across occupations within full-time jobs but some part-time jobs appear to be more compatible with housework than others. We find tentative evidence that the housework penalty is larger when there are children present." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Harkness, Susan & Martin Evans (2011): The employment effects of recession on couples in the UK. Women's and household employment prospects and partners' job loss. In: Journal of social policy, Jg. 40, H. 4, S. 675-693. DOI:10.1017/S0047279411000201

Abstract

"The effect that the 2008/09 recession has had on unemployment and, in particular, on the distribution of job losses across households is of key concern to policymakers. During the 1991 recession rising male unemployment was associated with a sharp increase in the number of workless households, with this polarisation of work between 'work-rich' and 'work-poor' persisting many years later. Part of the reason for this polarisation was that the design of the tax and benefit system produced weak work incentives for women partnered to unemployed men, particularly if the jobs open to them were either part time or low paid. Since 1999, the United Kingdom has undertaken reform of employment and transfer programmes, with a particular focus on boosting incomes and work incentives for families with children. The resulting literature focussed on the impact that these reforms had on women'smovements into employment. Since the economy entered recession in 2008, an increasingly important question is how have these reforms affected women's decisions to remain in employment (or enter into work) if their partner becomes unemployed. This paper uses Labour Force Survey data to assess the effect of male job loss on their partners' employment and to examine the implications for the distribution of jobs across households. Results suggest that working women whose partners lost their jobs in the 2008/09 recession were more likely to remain in work than before and this has helped to mediate the growth in workless couple households." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Lyonette, Clare, Gayle Kaufman & Rosemary Crompton (2011): 'We both need to work': maternal employment, childcare and health care in Britain and the USA. In: Work, employment and society, Jg. 25, H. 1, S. 34-50. DOI:10.1177/0950017010389243

Abstract

"Both Britain and the USA are described as market-oriented or 'liberal' welfare regimes. However, there are important variations within these two countries: although both have high rates of maternal employment, part-time work is much more common in the UK than in the USA, where dual-earner (full-time) couples are the norm. Part-time employment can help to ease work-family conflict for women, while simultaneously contributing to the household income. However, part-time work is limited in its economic benefits, is also career limiting, and, in the USA, it generally comes without health insurance. While most of the current research regarding maternal employment decisions focuses on women, this research involves interviews with 83 British and American fathers, to better understand the complexity of such decision-making. Men's attitudes and experiences are examined in detail, focusing on the need for two incomes, the importance of paid health care and childcare costs and the potential role of part-time work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Rafferty, Anthony & Jay Wiggan (2011): Choice and welfare reform. Lone parents' decision making around paid work and family life. In: Journal of social policy, Jg. 40, H. 2, S. 275-293. DOI:10.1017/S004727941100002X

Abstract

"Welfare-to-work policy in the UK sees 'choice' regarding lone parents' employment decisions increasingly defined in terms of powers of selection between options within active labour market programmes, with constraints on the option of non-market activity progressively tightened. In this paper, we examine the wider choice agenda in public services in relation to lone-parent employment, focusing on the period following the 2007 Freud Review of welfare provision. (Freud, 2007) Survey data are used to estimate the extent to which recent policies promoting compulsory job search by youngest dependent child age map onto lone parents' own stated decision-making regarding if and when to enter the labour market. The findings indicate a substantial proportion of lone parents targeted by policy reform currently do not want a job and that their main reported reason is that they are looking after their children. Economically inactive lone mothers also remain more likely to have other chronic employment barriers, which traverse dependent child age categories. Some problems, such as poor health, sickness or disability, are particularly acute among those with older dependent children who are the target of recent activation policy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Soobedar, Zeenat (2011): A semiparametric analysis of the rising breadwinner role of women in the UK. In: Review of Economics of the Household, Jg. 9, H. 3, S. 415-428.

Abstract

"This paper describes the changes in the relative position of women in the family - as measured by their share of household labour income - in the UK between 1994 and 2004. Using a methodology that borrows from DiNardo et al., it assesses the contribution of changes in men's and women's characteristics, the market returns to these characteristics and the role of assortative mating. The main factor which accounts for the increase in the relative female earnings share is the rising female labour force participation across the whole distribution of the female breadwinner index. Changes in assortative mating have a modest positive impact on the index at the mean, 25th and 75th percentiles of the distribution. This is explained by increasing positive assortative mating between 1994 and 2004." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Blackburn, M. L. (2010): The impact of internal migration on married couples' earnings in Britain. In: Economica, Jg. 77, H. 307, S. 584-603. DOI:10.1111/j.1468-0335.2008.00772.x

Abstract

"Previous studies have often suggested that wives experience a decline in labour market fortunes after an internal migration of a married couple. This evidence is consistent with wives being 'tied movers' on average. I use the British Household Panel Survey to consider the extent to which wives' annual earnings change systematically in the year following an internal migration event for married couples within Britain. The earnings of working husbands appear to be little impacted by migration. Wives' earnings do fall, though this affect is short-lived and concentrated in a decline in the weeks of work for the wife." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Evans, Martin & Susan Harkness (2010): The impact of the tax and benefit system on second earners. In: The journal of poverty and social justice, Jg. 18, H. 1, S. 35-51. DOI:10.1332/175982710790795139

Abstract

"This article analyses the theoretical and applied aspects of employment disincentives for second earners that exist in the British tax benefit system. The shortcomings of existing tax-benefit income profiles are examined, together with the underlying role of tax credits in disincentives compared with other factors. The potential of such disincentives to worsen employment of second earners in a recession is addressed. Conclusions suggest that a more sophisticated applied approach is required by social policy analysts, together with improved ways to profile incentives in the tax benefit system." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Warren, Tracey, Gillian Pascall & Elizabeth Fox (2010): Gender equality in time. Low-paid mothers' paid and unpaid work in the UK. In: Feminist economics, Jg. 16, H. 3, S. 193-219. DOI:10.1080/13545701.2010.499997

Abstract

"Policies concerning time use are crucial to parents' experiences of paid and unpaid work and the reconciliation of work and family life. In heterosexual-couple households, gender inequalities in the distribution of paid work and care, working hours, and responsibility for children's schedules mean that mothers experience pressure on time and their ability to work, care, and manage households. Via qualitative interviews conducted in 2005-6, this contribution explores the time strategies of a sample of low-waged mothers in England whose choices around unpaid and paid work are most constrained as a result of the UK's limited policies. The authors discuss alternative policy scenarios, finding that respondents supported policies that challenge gender inequalities in work time, enhancing their time in paid employment and their partners' time for unpaid work. Higher-quality part-time work, shorter full-time hours, and parental leave for fathers would begin to address time inequalities in the UK and elsewhere." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Berninger, Ina (2009): Welche familienpolitischen Maßnahmen fördern die Arbeitsmarktpartizipation von Müttern? In: Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, Jg. 61, H. 3, S. 355-385. DOI:10.1007/s11577-009-0070-9

Abstract

"Im Beitrag wird untersucht, welche familienpolitischen Maßnahmen (Kinderbetreuung, Elternzeit, Transferleistungen) die Arbeitsmarktpartizipation von Müttern fördern. Im Gegensatz zu bisherigen Studien wird weiter evaluiert, inwiefern ein Zusammenhang zwischen erwerbsfördernden Maßnahmen und kulturellem Mutterbild besteht und ob letzteres die Arbeitsmarktpartizipation beeinflusst. Im Rahmen einer Mehrebenenanalyse werden 21 europäische Staaten anhand der Daten der zweiten Welle des European Social Survey (ESS) aus den Jahren 2004/2005 in Kombination mit Makrovariablen der Organisation für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (OECD) untersucht. Den theoretischen Rahmen der Studie bildet ein rationales Entscheidungsmodell: die mikroökonomische Theorie des Arbeitsangebotes. Zentrales Ergebnis der Analyse ist, dass einzig ein hohes Betreuungsangebot für unter dreijährige Kinder die Arbeitsmarktpartizipation, insbesondere jene von Müttern sehr junger Kinder, fördert. Diese familienpolitische Maßnahme weist einen engen Zusammenhang mit der nationalen Kultur auf." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Collard, Sharon & Adele Atkinson (2009): Making decisions about work in one-earner couple households. (Department for Work and Pensions. Research report 560), London, 100 S.

Abstract

"This report provides findings from a qualitative study to understand the attitudes and behaviours of non-working partnered parents living in low-income households where neither partner is in receipt of out-of-work benefits from DWP, and to explore the factors that might influence decisions about work within their household. The project had three main objectives: to explore the labour market choices, constraints and aspirations of non-working partnered parents in low-income households, particularly in terms of any longer-term trade-offs between income through paid work and child caring responsibilities; to explore the type of support non-working partnered parents might require in order to make paid employment a realistic option; to identify how best to help this group move into work with information, advice and support. The research involved conducting 50 in-depth interviews with non-working partnered parents living in low-income households in three areas of the country." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Jefferson, Therese (2009): Women and retirement pensions. A research review. In: Feminist economics, Jg. 15, H. 4, S. 115-145. DOI:10.1080/13545700903153963

Abstract

"The links between women's caring work and access to economic resources are particularly critical in the context of widespread public policy debates about retirement and pensions, many of which neglect care as a key issue for analysis. However, among feminist economists it is widely recognized that women's patterns of care provision have adverse implications for their access to economic resources in later life. The feminist economics literature examines many of the interactions between women's caring roles and their access to resources, particularly women's capacity to access economic resources through publicly mandated or regulated pension schemes. This article reviews research that places women's patterns of work and care at the center of analyses of retirement pension policy in an effort to provide a summary of research on gender and pensions policy and to contrast the extent to which differing institutional and policy frameworks accommodate women's caring roles." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Lück, Detlev (2009): Der zögernde Abschied vom Patriarchat. Der Wandel von Geschlechterrollen im internationalen Vergleich. Berlin: Edition Sigma, 360 S.

Abstract

"In den letzten Jahrzehnten wurden große Schritte in Richtung Gleichberechtigung der Geschlechter getan, etwa bei der Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen und Müttern. Doch in anderen Bereichen halten sich patriarchale Strukturen erstaunlich zäh, etwa bei der Frage, wer sich um Haushalt und Kinder kümmert. Unterschiede gibt es auch im internationalen Vergleich: Skandinavien hat sich früh und weit entwickelt, Süd-Europa spät und verhalten; in Ost-Europa sind Frauen gut in das Erwerbsleben integriert, aber sonst eher schlecht gestellt. Der Autor trägt in diesem Buch Daten und Fakten zum Wandel der Geschlechterrollen in verschiedenen Lebensbereichen für 40 Länder und über einen Zeitraum von 14 Jahren zusammen. Diese beträchtliche empirische Basis erlaubt es ihm auch, die ambivalente Entwicklung der Geschlechterrollen in ein neues theoretisches Licht zu rücken: Während Rational-Choice-Ansätze Wandel plausibel machen und durch den Doing-Gender-Ansatz Kontinuität begreiflich wird, setzt Lück auf differenzierte Deutungen durch die Verknüpfung verschiedener Theorieansätze. Er fragt, wie sich strukturelle und kulturelle Einflüsse auf der Mikro- und der Makro-Ebene für statistische Analysen operationalisieren lassen, um die Unterschiede zu erklären." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Rowthorn, Robert & David Webster (2008): Male worklessness and the rise of lone parenthood in Great Britain. In: Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Jg. 1, H. 1, S. 69-88. DOI:10.1093/cjres/rsm004

Abstract

"Deindustrialization has eliminated many traditionally male jobs in Great Britain. Using geographical comparisons based on Census data, this paper estimates that the resulting fall in male employment explains between 38% and 59% of the 1.16m increase in lone parent families over the period 1971-2001. The impact was greatest in the areas which suffered most from industrial decline. Higher male employment would help to contain, and maybe reverse, the growth of lone parenthood, by reducing inflows into lone parenthood and increasing outflows through re-partnering and consequent stepfamily formation. Female employment is found to have no consistent net effect on lone parenthood." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Schmitt, Christian (2008): Gender-specific effects of unemployment on family formation. A cross-national perspective. (DIW-Diskussionspapiere 841), Berlin, 75 S.

Abstract

"This paper investigates the impact of unemployment on the propensity to start a family. Unemployment is accompanied by bad occupational prospects and impending economic deprivation, placing the well-being of a future family at risk. I analyze unemployment at the intersection of state-dependence and the reduced opportunity costs of parenthood, distinguishing between men and women across a set of welfare states. Using micro-data from the European Community Household Panel (ECHP), I apply event history methods to analyze longitudinal samples of first-birth transitions in France, Finland, Germany, and the UK (1994-2001). The results highlight spurious negative effects of unemployment on family formation among men, which can be attributed to the lack of breadwinner capabilities in the inability to financially support a family. Women, in contrast, show positive effects of unemployment on the propensity to have a first child in all countries except France. These effects prevail even after ontrolling for labour market and income-related factors. The findings are pronounced in Germany and the UK where work-family conflicts are the cause of high opportunity costs of motherhood, and the gender-specific division of labour is still highly traditional. Particularly among women with a moderate and low level of education, unemployment clearly increases the likelihood to have a first child." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bauer, Frank, Hermann Groß, Gwen Oliver, Georg Sieglen & Mark J. Smith (2006): Zeitverwendung und Vereinbarung von Beruf und Familie. Endbericht. Düsseldorf, 77 S.

Abstract

"Gegenüber dem traditionellen Haushaltstyp der 'Ernährerehe', derzufolge der Mann hauptsächlich für die Erwerbsarbeit und die Frau weitestgehend für die Familienarbeit zuständig ist, gewinnen in Deutschland und Großbritannien die 'Doppelverdiener-Haushalte' an Bedeutung. Für diese stellt sich das Problem, Beruf und Familie zu vereinbaren, verschärft. Wie die nach Arbeitszeitarrangements der Partner und Intensität der Kinderbetreuung differenzierten Erwerbstätigenhaushalte dieses Problem bewältigen, ist zentrales Untersuchungsziel. Die Einbeziehung von zwei Nationen mit unterschiedlichen Wohlfahrtsregimen hilft dabei die Frage zu klären, ob die Vereinbarung von Beruf und Familie eher von externen Faktoren wie den nationenspezifischen Rahmenbedingungen (System der industriellen Beziehungen, Regulierung der Arbeitszeit, Entwicklung des Dienstleistungsbereichs) oder eher von internen Faktoren wie den Arbeitszeitarrangements der Partner oder der Intensität der Kinderbetreuung bestimmt ist.
Die zentralen Fragestellungen der Untersuchung waren:
- Welchen Umfang hat in beiden Untersuchungsländern das Gesamtvolumen gesellschaftlicher Arbeit in Erwerbstätigenhaushalten? Welche Prägekraft haben dabei externe und interne Faktoren? Welche Auswirkungen haben die Anforderungen der Kinderbetreuung auf die Zeitallokation?
- In welchem Ausmaß ist Arbeitszeit und Freizeit in den Erwerbstätigenhaushalten beider Untersuchungsländer entgrenzt?
- In welchem Ausmaß sind in den Erwerbstätigenhaushalten beider Untersuchungsländer Arbeitszeiten und Familienzeiten synchronisiert?
- In welchem Ausmaß werden in den Erwerbstätigenhaushalten beider Untersuchungsländer bezahlte und unbezahlte Hilfen für Kinderbetreuung und haushaltsbezogene Tätigkeiten in Anspruch genommen? Korrespondiert dies mit den nationen-spezifischen Entwicklungen des Dienstleistungsbereichs?
- Welcher Zusammenhang besteht zwischen den Mustern der Zeitverwendung und den Wohlfahrtregimen in beiden Untersuchungsländern?
Das methodische Vorgehen bestand wesentlich in sekundäranalytischen Auswertungen der in den Jahren 2000 und 2001 in Großbritannien und in den Jahren 2001 und 2002 in Deutschland durchgeführten Zeitbudgeterhebungen. Die Datensätze bestehen aus Tagebüchern zur Zeitverwendung und den Antworten auf Fragebögen von rund 5000 Haushalten in Deutschland und rund 6400 Haushalten in Großbritannien. Wegen einheitlicher Kodierungen der Zeitverwendungsaktivitäten sind die Daten der Tagebücher beider Untersuchungsländer miteinander vergleichbar.
Ergebnisse:
- Hinsichtlich des Volumens gesellschaftlicher Arbeit sind große Unterschiede zwischen den Untersuchungsländern feststellbar, die in unterschiedlichen 'Arbeitszeitkulturen' und Erwerbsquoten von Männern und Frauen begründet liegen. Jedoch existieren auch bemerkenswerte Ähnlichkeiten. In beiden Ländern geht ein steigender Umfang der Erwerbsarbeit mit einem abnehmenden Umfang der Kinderbetreuung einher.
- Der Anteil der Beschäftigten, die während der 'Kernzeit' (die Zeit, in der mehr als die Hälfte der Beschäftigten tätig ist) arbeiten, ist in Großbritannien größer als in Deutschland. Allerdings sind die 'Kernzeiten' in Großbritannien deutlich länger. Die geschlechtsspezifischen Unterschiede sind ähnlich: Frauen sind in Deutschland dreimal so häufig, in Großbritannien doppelt so häufig während der 'Kernzeit' tätig wie die Männer.
- Insgesamt weist Großbritannien höhere Niveaus von 'Doppelverdienerhaushalten', längere Zeitspannen der Erwerbstätigkeit beider Partner und weniger Zeit, die beide Partner zu Hause gemeinsam verbringen, auf. Entsprechend nehmen die britischen Erwerbstätigenhaushalte häufiger bezahlte Hilfen für Kinderbetreuung und haushaltsbezogene Tätigkeiten in Anspruch." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Haas, Barbara, Nadia Steiber, Margit Hartel & Claire Wallace (2006): Household employment patterns in an enlarged European Union. In: Work, employment and society, Jg. 20, H. 4, S. 751-771. DOI:10.1177/0950017006069813

Abstract

"Our aim is to contribute to better understanding of why different practices relating to the division of paid labour by sex in couple households are still to be found in different parts of Europe. We analyse data on the distribution of dominant household employment patterns in eight countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Using comparative survey evidence for a large total sample (N = 10,123), we examine how national differences in terms of the gender division of paid work correspond with predictions drawn from well-established structuralist and culturalist theories of the determinants of cross-country variations.The findings call for a further elaboration of conventional approaches to explaining gendered employment patterns in an enlarged Europe." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Lewis, Jane (2006): Perceptions of risk in intimate relationships. The implications for social provision. In: Journal of social policy, Jg. 35, H. 1, S. 39-57. DOI:10.1017/S0047279405009347

Abstract

"The erosion of the traditional, male breadwinner model family - both normatively and in social reality - has opened up the possibility of more choice in terms of both partnering and the nature of the contributions that men and women make to households, but processes of 'individualisation' have also given rise to greater uncertainty. We know relatively little about how people perceive their options for partnering, re-production and employment at the level of the household, and in particular what they are prepared to 'take a chance on', and what kind of security they seek. Yet this is important for policy purposes, particularly in view of the rapid pace of family and labour market change. This article first addresses the kind of considerations that are necessary for a better understanding of the nature of risks and uncertainty arising from processes of individualisation. The substantive sections that follow draw on in-depth interviews with a heterogeneous sample of 21 cohabiting and married men and women, drawn from an Omnibus representative sample survey. The extent to which individuals regard partnering and childbearing as risks, and how they seek to manage them are explored and the implications for policy assessed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Lewis, Jane (2001): The decline of the male breadwinner model. Implications for work and care. In: Social Politics, Jg. 8, H. 2, S. 152-169. DOI:10.1093/sp/8.2.152

Abstract

Entscheidende Konstruktionsmerkmale der meisten staatlichen Wohlfahrtssysteme sind die beiden Faktoren soziale Fürsorge und Erwerbsarbeit. Dabei bildet die Entlohnung der Erwerbsarbeit den Maßstab für die sozialen Leistungen. Das Konstrukt der Erwerbsarbeit wird weitgehend bestimmt vom Familienmodell des männlichen Ernährers, wobei der Frau die Rolle der Sorge für Kinder und Familie zukommt und ihr Sozialleistungen nur im Rahmen des Einkommens männlichen Partners (meist in Form von Freibeträgen) zukommen. Dieses klassische Familienmodell, das besonders in Großbritannien, Irland, Deutschland und den Niederlanden gepflegt wurde, ist von der gesellschaftlichen Wirklichkeit überholt. Der Beitrag zeigt am Beispiel Großbritanniens und der Niederlande, dass die Entwicklung hin zu einem Familienmodell geht, in der alle erwachsenen Familienmitglieder dem Arbeitsmarkt zur Verfügung stehen (adult-worker model family). Zur Zeit bestehen die meisten Familien noch aus 'anderthalb Ernährern', wobei den Frauen die - oft schlecht bezahlte - Teilzeitarbeit obliegt. Um die Rolle der Frauen wirklich gleichberechtigt zu gestalten, muss von der Politik die Gleichwertigkeit von Erwerbsarbeit und unbezahlter Familienarbeit anerkannt werden, die Übergänge im Lebenslauf müssen gefördert werden, und geringe Einkommen müssen aufgestockt werden. Dies gilt insbesondere im Hinblick darauf, dass es in vielen nord- und westeuropäischen Ländern immer mehr alleinerziehende Müttern gibt, deren Zugang zu bezahlter Arbeit verbessert werden muss. (IAB)