Abstract
Parenthood in modern societies is complex. Institutional structures and social policies help to reconcile between work and family life. Five welfare state regimes are distinguished. The Nordic countries represent the social democratic type: an elaborate system of public work and family policies has gender equality and the wellbeing of children as an important goal. Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands form the conservative corporatist type where the family is important, traditional gender roles are persistent, social policy is less individualized. Southern European countries form the Mediterranean type; they have few public provisions, gender roles are traditional and family problems are solved privately. The liberal type (UK and Ireland) views servicing as a market activity. Government involvement is limited; work/family arrangements are seen as individual responsibilities and left to market forces. The post-communist type used to have a broad range of public policies to support families but provisions decline after the transition. Low and late fertility is perceived to be related with general changes in the economy (rising levels of education and labour market participation, more prosperity) and culture (individualisation, exclusive and sensitive motherhood, traditional versus modern motherhood). In individualistic models of motherhood tasks are often equally shared. This may open the way to fatherhood as personal expression. Institutional arrangements do matter when it comes to the question how complicated it is to combine parenthood with paid work. Institutional support for parenthood is badly needed, as children are the promise and material for the future of society. The socio-economic price of having children should therefore decrease.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
This chapter is partly based on the research project transitions: Gender, Parenthood and the Changing European Workplace, funded by the European Union carried out in 8 European countries between 2003 and 2006.
- 2.
Recent research by Rijken (2009) however shows that the decision making process between partners about the timing of having a child is rather implicit.
References
Anttonen, A., & Sipilä, J. (1996). European social care services: is it possible to identify models? Journal of European Social Policy, 6(2), 82–100.
Ariès, P. (1962). Centuries of Childhood. New York, NY: Random House Inc.
Beck, U., & Beck-Gernsheim, E. (1995). The Normal Chaos of Love. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Beham, B., Drobnič, S., & Verwiebe, R. (2006). Germany: national report on socio-economic trends and welfare policies. In Quality of Life in a Changing Europe: National Reports on Socio-Economic Trends and Welfare Policies. Deliverable 3.1. The Netherlands: Utrecht University.
Blossfeld, H.P., & Drobnič, S. (Eds.) (2001). Careers of Couples in Contemporary Societies. From Male Breadwinner to Dual Earner Families. Oxford University Press: Oxford.
Blumstein, Ph., & Schwartz, P. (1983). American Couples: Money, Work, and Sex. New York, NY: Morrow.
Cowdery, R.S., & Knudson-Martin, C. (2005). The construction of motherhood: tasks, relational connection and gender equality. Family Relations, 54(3), 335–345.
Das Dores, G., & Rodrigues, E. (2006). Portugal: national report on socio-economic trends and welfare policies. In Quality of Life in a Changing Europe: National Reports on Socio-Economic Trends and Welfare Policies. Deliverable 3.1. The Netherlands: Utrecht University.
Den Dulk, L., & Doorne-Huiskes van, A. (2007). Social policies in Europe: its impact on families and work. In R. Crompton, S. Lewis, & C. Lyonette (Eds.), Women, Work and Family in Europe. Houndmills, Sasingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Diefenbach, H. (2003). Gender ideologies, relative resources, and the division of housework in intimate relationships: a test of Hyman Rodman’s Theory of resources in cultural context. International Journal of Sociology, 43(1), 45–64.
Doorten, I., Lindenberg, S.M., Dykstra, P.A., & Knijn, T. (2008). Dependency within couples with children living at home: comparing portable and relation-specific investments. In I. Doorten (Eds.), The Division of Unpaid Work in the Household: A Stubborn Pattern? Dissertation, Utrecht University.
E-Quality. (2008). Gezinnen van de toekomst. Cijfers en trends. Den Haag: E-Quality.
Erler, W. (1999). Work-family reconciliation in Germany: trends in public and corporate policies. In L. den Dulk, A. van Doorne-Huiskes, & J. Schippers (Eds.), Work-Family Arrangements in Europe. Thela Thesis: Amsterdam.
Esping-Andersen, G. (1990). The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Esping-Andersen, G. (1999). Social Foundations of Postindustrial Economics. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Esping-Andersen, G., Gallie, D., Hemerijck, A., & Myles, J. (2002). Why We Need a New Welfare State. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
European Commission, Eurostat (2004). How Europeans spend their time, everyday life of women and men. Labour Force Survey. Luxembourg: Eurostat.
Fischer, T. (2004). Parental Divorce, Conflict, and Resources. The Effects on Children’s Behaviour Problems, Socio-Economic Attainment, and Transitions in the Demographic Career. ICS-Dissertation, Nijmegen.
Hakim, C. (2001). Work-Lifestyle Choices in the 21st Century. Preference Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Jansen, M. (2002). Waardenoriëntaties en partnerrelaties. Een panelstudie naar wederzijdse invloeden. Utrecht: ICS.
Keizer, R. (2010). Remaining Childless. Causes and Consequences from a Life Course Perspective. Dissertation, Utrecht University.
Keuzenkamp, S. (2006). Arbeid en zorg in internationaal perspectief. In SCP, Emancipatiemonitor 2006. Den Haag: Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau & Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek.
Knijn, T., & Verheijen, C. (1991). Kiezen of delen. Veranderingen in de beleving van het moederschap. Amsterdam: Uitgeverij An Dekker.
Kocourková, J. (2002). Leave arrangements and childcare services in Central Europe: policies and practices before and after the transition. Community, Work & Family, 5(3), 301–318.
Kovacheva, S., Peeva, R., & Andreev, T. (2006). Bulgaria: national report on socio-economic trends and welfare policies. In Quality of Life in a Changing Europe: National Reports on Socio-Economic Trends and Welfare Policies. Deliverable 3.1. The Netherlands: Utrecht University.
Kremer, M. (2005). How welfare states care: Culture, gender and citizenship in Europe. Downloadable at: http://www.igitur.nl/igiturarchief/searchresults.php?language=nl&author=Kremer&title=
Lane, L., Bäck-Wiklund, M., & Szücs, S. (2006). Sweden: national report on socio-economic trends and welfare policies. In Quality of Life in a Changing Europe: National Reports on Socio-Economic Trends and Welfare Policies. Deliverable 3.1. The Netherlands: Utrecht University.
Lewis, J. (2001). The End of Marriage? Individualism and Intimate Relations. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Lewis, S., & Purcell, C. (2006). United Kingdom: national report on socio-economic trends and welfare policies. In Quality of Life in a Changing Europe: National Reports on Socio-Economic Trends and Welfare Policies. Deliverable 3.1. The Netherlands: Utrecht University.
Lewis, S., & Smithson, J. (2006). Final report. A framework 6 EU Project. Manchester: MMU.
Liefbroer, A., & Dykstra, P. (2001). Een breder perspectief. In Samenleven. Nieuwe feiten over relaties en gezinnen. Voorburg/Heerlen: CBS.
Nilsen, A., & Brannen, J. (2005). Transitions. Interview Study. Consolidated Report. Manchester: MMU.
Näsman, P. (1999). Sweden and the reconciliation of work and family life. In L. den Dulk, & A. van Doorne-Huiskes, & J. Schippers (Eds.), Work-Family Arrangements in Europe. Amsterdam: Thela Thesis.
Plantenga, J., & Remery, C. (2005) (with assistance of Helming, P.). Reconciliation of work and private life: A comparative review of thirty European countries. Downloadable at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/gender_equality/docs/2005/reconciliation_report_en.pdf
RVZ – Raad voor de Volksgezondheid en Zorg. (2007). Uitstel van ouderschap: medisch of maatschappelijk probleem? Den Haag: RVZ.
Raley, S.B., Mattingly, M.J., & Bianchi, S.M. (2006). How dual are dual-income couples? Documenting change from 1971 to 2001. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68, 11–28.
Rijken, A.J. (2009). Happy Families, High Fertility? Childbearing Choices in the Context of Family and Partner Relationships. Dissertation, Utrecht University.
Sainsbury, D. (1996). Gender, Equality and Welfare States. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Soede, A., & Vrooman, C. (2008). A comparative typology of pension regimes. Brussels: CEPS (Enepri Research Report nr. 54; http://www.enepri.org en http://www.ceps.eu).
Taipale, S., & Hirvonen, H. (2006). Finland: national report on socio-economic trends and welfare policies. In Quality of Life in a Changing Europe: National Reports on Socio-Economic Trends and Welfare Policies. Deliverable 3.1. The Netherlands: Utrecht University.
Trifiletti, R. (1999). Women’s labour market participation and the reconciliation of work and family life in Italy. In L. den Dulk, A. van Doorne-Huiskes, & J. Schippers (Eds.), Work-Family Arrangements in Europe. Amsterdam: Thela Thesis.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
van Doorne-Huiskes, A., Doorten, I. (2011). The Complexity of Parenthood in Modern Societies. In: Beets, G., Schippers, J., te Velde, E. (eds) The Future of Motherhood in Western Societies. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8969-4_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8969-4_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-8968-7
Online ISBN: 978-90-481-8969-4
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawSocial Sciences (R0)