1st Edition

Families and Social Policy National and International Perspectives

Edited By Linda Haas, Steven K. Wisensale Copyright 2006
    406 Pages
    by Routledge

    406 Pages
    by Routledge

    Empirical research that describes ways to best handle social problems concerning families

    Leading authorities’ studies show that from the effects of globalization many social and family problems and their solutions tend to be similar in nations world-wide. Families and Social Policy: National and International Perspectives explores the latest research on the impact of government policy—or lack of policy—on family life in various developed and developing nations around the world. Leading experts present and analyze strong empirical research on the common issues confronting families caused by effective and ineffective social policies around the world. This text illuminates the many complexities of various problems to shine a valuable light on what may be effective policy for the world.

    Families and Social Policy presents multiple perspectives on the profound family and social issues triggered by political policies. Timely data-driven research on family policy, welfare, and work policy issues highlight the comparative analyses between nations and common family problems. Family responsibility issues, childcare, and welfare are explored from both micro and macro perspectives. Useful tables clearly present empirical data. Extensive references are provided for each chapter.

    Topics in Families and Social Policy include:

    • the impact of job loss on families
    • poor families in the welfare system
    • consequences of policies based on false assumptions
    • the impact of globalization on child care
    • the impact of child support and custody laws on fathers
    • fathers and parental leave
    • elder care in government policy
    • government support in family care of dependents
    • a case study for paid leave to care for newborns
    • social policy influence on women’s fertility decisions
    • policies supportive of maternal employment
    • a cross-national exploration of family policies
    • leave and daycare policies in Poland and the Czech Republic after the fall of communism
    • childcare policy in Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom
    • Norway’s gender equality, work load, and family dynamics policies—and the persistent traditional gender divide
    • and more!

    Families and Social Policy comprehensively examines the effects of the political process on family life in developed and developing nations, making it stimulating, informative reading for upper-level undergraduate students, graduate students, academic researchers, policymakers, journalists, and independent scholars.

    Introduction (Steven K. Wisensale and Linda Haas) Job Loss, the Family, and Public Policy (Kenneth A. Root) Poverty and Couple Relationships: Implications for Welfare Policy (Pajarita Charles, Dennis K. Orthner, Anne Jones, and Deborah Mancini) Single Mothers and Family Values: The Effects of Welfare, Race, and Marriage on Family Attitudes (Teresa Ciabattari) The Need for International Family Policy: Mothers As Workers and As Carers (Sally Bould) Organizational Responses to the Fatherhood Crisis: The Case of Fathers’ Rights Groups in the United States (Jocelyn Elise Crowley) Gender Equality and Fertility in Sweden: A Study on the Impact of the Father’s Uptake of Parental Leave on Continued Childbearing (Ann-Zofie Duvander and Gunnar Andersson) Social Policy for Family Caregivers of Elderly: A Canadian, Japanese, and Australian Comparison (Carol D. H. Harvey and Satomi Yoshino) The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit: A Policy Analysis (Nicole D. Forry and Elaine A. Anderson) California’s Paid Leave Law: A Model for Other States? (Steven K. Wisensale) Birthstrikes? Agency and Capabilities in the Reconciliation of Employment and Family (Barbara Hobson and Livia Sz. Oláh) Gender Regimes and Cultures of Care: Public Support for Maternal Employment in Germany and the United States (Marina A. Adler and April Brayfield) Leave Policies and Research: A Cross-National Overview (Peter Moss and Fred Deven) Seeking Balance Between Work and Family After Communism (Steven Saxonberg and Tomáš Sirovátka) Trading Well-Being for Economic Efficiency: The 1990 Shift in EU Childcare Policies (Inge Bleijenbergh, Jet Bussemaker, and Jeanne de Bruijn) Family Well-Being Between Work, Care and Welfare Politics: The Case of Norway (Kjersti Melberg) The Evolution of Family Policy in Spain (Gerardo Meil) Index Reference Notes Included

    Biography

    Linda Haas, Steven K. Wisensale