Gender Inequalities, Households and the Production of Well-Being in Modern Europe (Gender and Well-Being)

Demographic change and economic liberalization are reshaping European states in a number of profound ways. In particular, an ageing population and shifts in the labour market are bringing new challenges to the welfare systems of the continent's nation states. Foremost among these challenges include the issue of how to cope with a growing population of dependent people and how to deal with a profound shift in the nature and organisation of work. The expansion of service sector employment, the emergence of more flexible working practices and the increased participation of women in European labour have been key trends in most European countries. These changes imply a modification of public and private responsibilities towards the provision of well-being among European populations, and a reconfiguration of the relationships between individuals, households and public institutions. This unique volume of essays seeks to analyse these changes and situate them in a wider historical and geographical context. It also aims to put gender at the centre of these analyses, demonstrating the uneven experiences of men and women as both providers and receivers of welfare. This book is the second of four books based on a series of symposia, funded by the European Science Foundation under the auspices of COST (European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research).