Working Mothers in Europe: A Comparison of Policies And Practices (Globalization and Welfare)

Working Mothers in Europe combines comparative perspectives on social policies with analyses of mother’s practices as evidenced in macro data and as explored in country-based case studies. Social policy research has emphasized the impact of particular welfare systems and their policies on women’s integration into the labor market and the organization of care and work. However, the authors argue that policies are not the only factor, and, hitherto, we have very little knowledge of the precise interactions between social policies and social practices of individuals and families. In order to accurately grasp the cross-country variation of mother’s work and care arrangements in Europe, this book assembles a comparative approach towards welfare systems and social policies with an analysis of mothers’ social practices in several European countries. Exploring the ways in which working mothers manage to combine care responsibilities and paid work on the basis of diverse public and private resources, this book will be invaluable to academics, researchers and students interested in the social sciences. More generally, the book will greatly appeal to those with an interest in women’s employment, gender relations and the needs of children as matters that are tackled in the interaction between social policy and individuals.