Suchergebnisse

It is argued that the striking differences across Europe in the labor force participation rates of women with children cannot be explained by differences in social policy or welfare system alone. This volume, resulting from research conducted 1998-2001 by the European Commission, explores the interaction of individual motivations & sociopolitical factors that prompt some mothers to enter the workforce & other to remain at home, highlighting the intersection of social policies & practices across different welfare regimes. The current work situation of mothers -- & all women -- is considered against the backdrop of gender-equality policies developed since the late 1950s, along with treaties that have provided the legal basis for such policies; laws against sexual discrimination, guarantees of "equal pay for equal work," & provision of childcare services are highlighted. The continued "gender coding" of certain activities, eg, child care & household maintenance, as "women's work" is discussed & sociopolitical factors in individual EU member states that impact gender-equality policies are considered. K. Hyatt Stewart

The use of the concept of strategy as a theoretical tool in the investigation of women's purposive, everyday practices is explored, focusing on strategies related to working & mothering in the context of larger social changes. The sociological conception of strategy is closely related to Pierre Bourdieu's notion of habitus; issues of agency & structure are considered. Other conceptualizations drawn from economics & history are compared & the use of the concept in various national contexts is examined. It is argued that social change is key in explaining the purposive & quasirational dimensions of social practices in women's lives; such strategies become more complex & widely used in the absence of social policies to deal with such changes. Examples are provided from several European countries on employed mothers' strategies to balance their family & work roles, comparing rational, packaging, coping, & indirect/unconscious strategies. K. Hyatt Stewart

Diskutiert werden Probleme einer integrierten Sozialberichterstattung in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Die Autoren untersuchen, wie sich die Sozialberichterstattung mit und ohne politischen Auftrag seit den 60er Jahren entwickelt hat und wie sie auf veränderte gesellschaftliche Konstellationen seit den 70er Jahren reagierte. Der folgende Analyseansatz der "gesellschaftlichen Organisation von Arbeit" bezieht neue soziale Gegebenheiten mit ein und verlangt eine Berücksichtigung von technologischen, ökonomischen, kulturellen und institutionellen Rahmenbedingungen, die hier näher ausgeführt werden. Neben den sozialen Gegebenheiten sind regionale Differenzierungen stärker in die analytische Bearbeitung einzubeziehen. (prh)