Family Policies in the Context of Family Change

1. Front Matter

   Pages 1-7

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2. Introduction

   • Ilona Ostner, Christoph Schmitt

   Pages 9-35

3. Family Policy. The Case of Sweden

   • Ulla Björnberg, Lillemor Dahlgren

   Pages 37-56

4. Current Issues of Family Policy in Denmark

   • Peter Abrahamson, Cecilie Wehner

   Pages 57-74

5. Family Policies in Finland

   • Katja Forssén, Anne-Mari Jaakola, Veli-Matti Ritakallio

   Pages 75-88

6. Family Policies in Norway

   • Anne Skevik, Aksel Hatland

   Pages 89-107

7. Family Policy in Iceland: An Overview

   • Guðný Eydal, Stefán Ólafsson

   Pages 109-127

8. Family Policies in the UK

   • Naomi Finch

   Pages 129-154

9. Private Responsibility and Some Support. Family Policies in The Netherlands

   • Trudie Knijn

   Pages 155-173

10. Family Policies in Germany

    • Sigrid Leitner, Ilona Ostner, Christoph Schmitt

    Pages 175-202

11. Conclusion

    • Ilona Ostner, Christoph Schmitt

    Pages 203-212

12. Back Matter

    Pages 213-214

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A better work-life balance for working parents has become an imperative social policy issue in most contemporary welfare states and sets two objectives: to increase flexible labour forces as well as the number of daycare facilities and to improve children´s overall education. Drawing upon up-to-date empirical data, the volume provides detailed insights in policies targeting families, above all, women as (to be) parents and workers. It compares experiences made in Nordic countries during the last 20 years. These countries have become paragons for policies that apparently work in favour of improving the work-life balance, equal employment opportunities and public child care. The Netherlands, Germany and the UK are taken in as countries that provide contrasts in employment patterns and family-related policies. The volume is a timely contribution to ongoing debates on ‘policies that work’ and related quests for policy-learning in regard to boosting female employment, maintaining, even increasing, birth-rates and investing in human resources.

• Familienforschung
• Familienpolitik
• Familienwandel
• Geburtenrate
• Interaktion
• Kinder
• Kindertagesstätte
• Sozialarbeit
• Sozialpolitik
• Soziologie
• soziale Arbeit
• vergleichende Studie

Ilona Ostner is Professor of Social Policy at the Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Faculty of Social Science.
Christoph Schmitt teaches social policy at the Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Faculty of Social Science.

Policies and ethics