The politics of work-family policies : comparing Japan, France, Germany and the United States / Patricia Boling.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Boling, Patricia, 1953- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Work and family.

Work and family--Government policy.

Family policy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xx, 268 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2015.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The work-family policies of Sweden and France are often held up as models for other nations to follow, yet political structures and resources can present obstacles to fundamental change that must be taken into account. Patricia Boling argues that we need to think realistically about how to create political and policy change in this vital area. She evaluates policy approaches in the US, France, Germany and Japan, analyzing their policy histories, power resources, and political institutions to explain their approaches, and to propose realistic trajectories toward change. Arguing that much of the story lies in the way that job markets are structured, Boling shows that when women have reasonable chances of resuming their careers after giving birth, they are more likely to have children than in countries where even brief breaks put an end to a career, or where motherhood restricts them to part-time work.

Contents:

Why work-family policies matter, and how best to study them

Demographic and policy trends in OECD countries

Familialist policies in France

Germany enacts change

Japan confronts low fertility and rapid aging

The United States relies on families and markets

Evaluating work-family policies

Why the United States can't be Sweden.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

ISBN:

1-316-29000-X

1-316-32402-8

1-316-31064-7

1-316-32736-1

1-316-33070-2

1-316-33404-X

1-107-48410-3

1-316-32066-9

1-316-16153-6