Activation programmes for women with a partner in Germany

Abstract

"In 2005, Germany implemented major welfare benefit reforms that encourage an adult worker model of the family. In this study, we hypothesised that, despite these reforms, women's assignments to activation programmes would in practice still tend to replicate the degree of labour market attachment to which they had become accustomed relative to their partner in the past. We compared programme entries between women in former male breadwinner, dual earner, no-earner and female breadwinner households and applied event-history analysis to large-scale administrative data. Our findings showed that in western Germany - but not in eastern Germany - women's assignments to activation programmes indeed replicated their prior labour market attachment relative to their partner." (Author's abstract, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

Cite article

Kopf, E. & Zabel, C. (2017): Activation programmes for women with a partner in Germany. Challenge or replication of traditional gender roles. In: International journal of social welfare, Vol. 26, No. 3, p. 239-253. DOI:10.1111/ijsw.12249