Fathers and Mothers: Dilemmas of the Work-Life Balance

Preface; Gosta Esping-Andersen. Acknowledgements. Notes On Authors. Table Of Contents. List Of Tables In Text. List Of Figures In Text. List Of Tables In Appendix. 1: Introduction:- Overview of Book. 2: France:- Setting The Context: French Family And Childcare Policies. Childcare Allowances: Reducing The Costs Of Childcare For Working Parents. Parental Leave And Child-Rearing Benefit. Attitudinal Studies. Workplace Policies In France. New Challenges: Is There A Predicament For Family Policy? 3: Italy:- National Social Policies. Workplace Policies-Objective Measures. Attitudinal Studies-Subjective Measures. Studies On Gender Role Attitudes. 4: Denmark:- Denmark By Numbers. Danish Rules Of Leave. Leave And The Labour. Gender And Working Life In Workplace Cultures. Scandinavian Equality Model(S). 5: Ireland:- National Social Policies. Current Status Of Family-Friendly Arrangements In Irish Workplaces. Childcare In Ireland: An Historical Perspective And Current Policy Issues. Attitudinal Studies: Changing Gender Roles And Social Policies In Ireland. 6: A Comparison Of The Four Countries: An Overview:- Women's Labour Force Participation. Relationships Between Fertility And Employment. Comparative Social Policies. Flexible Working. Gender Roles And Attitudes. Research On Fathering. Conclusion. 7: Methodology:- Method. Characteristics Of The Sample. 8: Children And Family Life:- The Effect Of The Birth Of The Youngest Child On Work And Family Life. Division Of Labour Within The Household. Childcare. Time Preferences. 9: The Workplace:- Workplace Demographics. Changes In Work Following The Birth Of The Youngest Child. Potential For Flexibility. Perceptions Of Workplace Attitudes. Workplace Policies. 10: Combining Work And Family Life:- Reconciling Work And Family. Well-Being. Correlates Of Well-Being. 11: Summary And Discussion:- Background. The Study. Children And Family Life. The Workplace. Combining Work And Family Life. Conclusions And Social Policy Implications. Appendix A: Tables. Appendix B: Questionnaire. References. Author Index. Index.

"This excellent cross-national study unambiguously shows that a truly workable and positive social equilibrium needs more than public support for mothers. It needs, somehow or other, to equalise the employment and caring roles of men and women alike . . . What Fathers and Mothers helps us to realise is that no workable social equilibrium can materialise unless we somehow begin to also reconstruct the male life course."
(Gosta Esping-Andersen)