Suchergebnisse

In this article, municipal workers' experience of the relationship between family and work in Finland is analysed. The relationship between the reconciliation of family life and work, and intentions to change jobs or industry or to withdraw from work, are also investigated. Results show that the negative effect of work on family life is more common than the spillover effect of family life on work. Demanding jobs, job insecurity, working as a supervisor, having children, being a single parent, and having informal care responsibilities were found to be risk factors for the challenge of reconciling work and family. Difficulties in reconciling work and family were found to be connected to plans to change jobs or industry and intentions to withdraw from work. It can be concluded that the work−family relationship is an important determinant of the supply of labour.

This article examines whether and to what extent opinions on class‐related issues coincide between MP candidates and party supporters in Finland. This strategy is used to approach the mediation of interests from grassroots level to the level of political decision making. In theory, adverse selection and moral hazard problems are identified to have serious implications for the mediation process. Furthermore, the representation role adopted by members of parliament is assumed to be significant in the mediation of interests. Attitudes of the candidates in the 1995 parliamentary elections in Finland and those of citizens are compared empirically. The results indicate that the attitudes of the citizens are not necessarily the same as those of their representatives, i.e. the mediation of interests is not self‐evident. A more detailed analysis shows that the candidate's gender, education and adopted representation role can be important as regards the conformity of the candidate's attitudes with those of citizens. Findings also reveal that class struggle is tougher at the level of candidates than at the level of party supporters. Differences in opinions are wider among candidates of the political parties than among party supporters.

Following a review of previous research on the relationship between public opinion & public policy & issues regarding the measurement of & influences on public opinion, results of a 1994/95 survey of 1,737 Finnish residents, ages 18-70, regarding the welfare state are compared with those of 529 candidates for the 1995 parliamentary elections & various elites (N = 110 members of parliament [MPs], 70 civil servants, 53 researchers, 107 directors of large companies, & 48 mass media representatives). Multivariate analysis reveals highly significant differences in opinion between citizens & members of the elite, & lesser (though also significant) differences between citizens & political candidates; these differences cannot be attributed to sociodemographic/-economic background factors. Specific attitudes toward entitlement rules regarding pensions & their administration are highlighted. 4 Tables, 2 Appendixes, 54 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

This article explores how popular support for social benefits is connected to their entitlement rules. In addition, the role of self-interest regarding support for social benefits is examined. The importance of these factors is empirically evaluated using a sample of 1,117 Finns. Popular support for ten essential income transfer schemes in Finland is determined. Some of these schemes represent purely means-tested programmes, others are universal. Programmes also vary in their importance to different subgroups of the population. The results give qualified support to the 'welfare backlash' model: universal benefits are found to be more legitimate than selective ones. However, the situation is a little more complicated. Benefits maintaining basic security are also highly legitimate, which indicates that people do not support social security schemes only out of selfish motives. They also have a moral commitment to help those in need. The analysis also reveals clear choices based on self-interest: families with children, for example, strongly defend family benefits and younger people do not allow cutbacks in study allowances.

Data from the 1994/95 International Survey of Economic Attitudes are drawn on to examine public opinion on pension policy & the role of government in three welfare state regimes -- Australia, Finland, & postcommunist Poland (N = 1,378, 3,100, & 2,127 respondents [Rs], respectively). The %s of Rs favoring no government pensions vs means-tested or universal pensions for the elderly are compared within & across states, along with attitudes toward the existence & form of superannuation or employment-related pensions & their distribution. Though there is generally support for universal basic pensions in all three countries, there are substantial differences in terms of how benefits should be determined & administered. 6 Tables, 1 Appendix, 45 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

The ageing of the population challenges the financing of pensions in the future. As a result, pension systems have been reformed in many countries. In addition to reforming the financing principles of pensions, an important aim for social policy has become the postponement of retirement. In Finland, pension reform came into force at the beginning of 2005, with the aim, through a variety of measures, of encouraging workers to stay on at work. Under the new system it is possible to retire flexibly between the ages of 63 and 68. This article, using extensive survey-data, examines the plans of Finnish wage and salary earners to continue working beyond the lowest pensionable age of 63. First of all, it examines whether older Finnish workers on the whole intend to continue working beyond the pensionable age and whether economic incentives increase their intention to go on working. Secondly it analyses the way in which different socio-demographic and socio-economic factors are related to plans to continue working. The results show that Finns take quite a reserved attitude towards remaining at work in spite of financial incentives. Moreover, those who plan to continue working are more likely to be male, to be highly educated, to be private sector workers in good health and to be individuals who live alone. Private pension arrangements and long work careers decrease willingness to continue at work. Activities relating to the treatment of older workers in the workplace as well as the demands of the job and the extent of control over work also affect plans to go on working. Managerial work, features of the job and job satisfaction are also important but less so than the aforementioned factors. All in all the results show that the aim of postponing retirement will be hard to achieve since most workers do not want to go on working and would rather retire as soon as possible.