Abstract With recent developments, parental leave policies may also be seen as gender equality policies, namely when fathers are given substantial and non-transferable well-paid home-alone time and encouraged by the policies themselves to take it ('use it or lose it'/extra-time bonuses). Portugal is one of the countries where this type of time was introduced: parents are given an extra well-paid month of main leave after birth ('initial parental leave') if each one stays home alone at least 30 days after the other return to work. Given the way it challenges traditional gender roles in family life and in the labour market, a qualitative study was carried out in order to grasp the motives of 24 fathers (non-probability purposive sample) who took this home-alone sharing bonus. Findings reveal that fathers' motives impact the amount of time they take. From the interactions between two major motivations – care and instrumental – and other social circumstances, such as family negotiation and labour contexts, several time-sharing profiles are identified. Each one making a difference in terms of the amount of time shared by fathers, with those where fathers exceed the one-month bonus-sharing being of particular interest.
La dernière réforme du congé parental au Portugal (2009) a marqué la volonté politique de promouvoir l'égalité entre les sexes en introduisant un système de « bonus » d'un mois pour le couple en cas de partage du congé parental. L'article porte sur les expériences vécues par vingt pères qui ont partagé le congé parental pour s'occuper seul de leur bébé pendant un mois ou plus. Les pères interrogés se perçoivent comme des précurseurs qui ont dû affirmer et négocier leur droit à une partie du congé parental. Ce congé leur permet également d'acquérir de nouvelles compétences et d'être plus autonomes lorsqu'il s'agit de s'occuper de leur enfant. Cet article fait apparaître des expériences d'une grande diversité, et parfois très contrastées.
This paper is based on research that took place between 2008 and 2012, research that was sustained in the belief that education is the most effective mean that society has to face the challenges of the future (UNESCO, 1997), and sought to contribute to teacher self-training in education for sustainable development. A virtual community of practice was created, composed by teachers of Basic Education of Physics and Chemistry from Portugal and from African countries where Portuguese is the official language, and also from different contexts. Education for sustainable development was the community purview. The water was the motivating and unifying theme because it established an ethical challenge simultaneously social, economic, environmental and political. Asymmetrically distributed, over the surface of the Earth and in the temporal period, water is a priority, almost of all times and cultures. Today, in an era when the global perception of phenomena is meaningful, the priority of a fair and equitable distribution of water is urgent, to ensure consumption in quality and quantity to all mankind and all living beings. On the other hand, the fight against poverty is a major challenge to achieve equitable and sustainable development and water plays an important role here (Heerden, Blignaut & Horridge, 2008) being considered one of the limiting factors for development (Aronson, Blignaut, Milton & Clewell, 2006). When people do not have access to safe drinking water at home or when they do not have access to water as a productive resource, their choices and freedoms are limited by health, poverty and vulnerability problems. Water brings life to everything, including human development and freedom (United Nations Development Program [UNDP], 2006). The research concludes that water is considered an essential asset to life and particular attention is now required to it due to environmental attacks to which is targeted, as well as economic, social and political attacks related to access and quality of drinking water. Due to the experiences motivated by the different cultural and geographical contexts, the perceptions of the African teachers were different from those of the European ones. Due to these differences the sharing of ideas made in the virtual community of practice, between European and African teachers, created a new approach and more diversified learning strategies on the theme of water and sustainable development issues. This experience opens the way for future projects such as the creation of partnerships between educators and professionals around the world on water and sustainable development. ; Esta comunicação baseia-se numa investigação que decorreu entre 2008 e 2012. Sustentada na convicção de que a educação constitui o meio mais efetivo que a sociedade possui para fazer face aos desafios do futuro (Organização Educacional, Científica e Cultural das Nações Unidas [UNESCO], 1997), procurou contribuir para a autoformação de professores em educação para o desenvolvimento sustentável. Criou-se uma comunidade de prática virtual constituída por professores de Física e Química de Portugal e de países africanos de língua oficial portuguesa, inicialmente desconhecidos entre si e provenientes de diferentes contextos. A educação para o desenvolvimento sustentável constituiu o domínio da comunidade. A água foi o tema motivador e aglutinador pois estabelece um desafio ético, simultaneamente social, económico, ambiental e político. Assimetricamente distribuída, sobre a superfície da Terra e no período temporal, a água constitui uma prioridade, quase de todos os tempos e culturas. Hoje, numa era em que a perceção global dos fenómenos é evidente, a prioridade de uma justa e equitativa distribuição, que garanta o consumo, em qualidade e quantidade, a toda a humanidade e seres vivos é premente. O combate à pobreza é um dos maiores desafios para se atingir um desenvolvimento equitativo e sustentável, e a água desempenha aqui um importante papel (Heerden, Blignaut & Horridge, 2008) sendo considerada um dos fatores limitantes ao desenvolvimento (Aronson, Blignaut, Milton & Clewell, 2006). Quando as pessoas não têm acesso à água potável em casa ou quando não têm acesso à água como um recurso produtivo, as suas escolhas e liberdades são limitadas por problemas de saúde, pobreza e vulnerabilidade. A água dá vida a tudo, incluindo o desenvolvimento e a liberdade humanos (Programa das Nações Unidas para o Desenvolvimento [UNDP], 2006). As conclusões da investigação revelam que a água é considerada um tema essencial à vida e sobre o qual é hoje necessária uma atenção especial devido aos atentados ambientais de que é alvo, bem como aos atentados económicos, sociais e políticos ligados ao acesso e qualidade da água potável. Devido às experiências motivadas pelos diferentes contextos culturais e geográficos, as perceções apresentadas pelos professores africanos apresentaram-se diferentes das dos europeus. Este facto levou a que a partilha efetuada na comunidade de prática potenciasse uma abordagem e aprendizagem mais diversificadas do tema da água e das questões do desenvolvimento sustentável. Esta experiência abre caminho a futuros projetos, como a criação de parcerias entre educadores e profissionais em todo o mundo, sobre a água e o desenvolvimento sustentável. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
FAMILYPLATFORM's aim was to develop and publish a European Research Agenda for Research on Families and Family Policy, in order to enable policy makers and others to respond to current and future challenges facing families. Four concrete steps were taken towards elaborating the Research Agenda: 1. Charting the contemporary field of research on families and family policy in the EU. 2. Critically reviewing existing research involving a wide range of stakeholders. 3. An innovative exercise to identify future challenges facing families, so as to highlight future policy issues and develop questions for future research. 4. Bringing together all of the work into a Research Agenda on Families and Family Wellbeing for Europe. Each of these areas has a dedicated chapter in this book, presenting the main results and findings of this work. More than 120 civil society representatives, policy makers, and scientific experts were involved in the work of FAMILYPLATFORM. The sharing and negotiating of sometimes contradictory perspectives and thoughts was an exciting challenge for everyone involved, resulting in a great deal of shared learning. We hope that this book passes on some of these rich experiences, thereby improving the wellbeing of families in Europe through research and policy. ; FAMILYPLATFORM (SSH-2009-3.2.2 Social platform on research for families and family policies) is funded by the EU's 7th Framework Programme (€1,400,000) for 18 months (October 2009-March 2011).
This report was produced by FAMILYPLATFORM. FAMILYPLATFORM (SSH-2009-3.2.2 Social platform on research for families and family policies) is funded by the EU's 7th Framework Programme (€1,400,000) and has a duration of 18 months (October 2009 – March 2011). The consortium consists of the following 12 organisations: 1) Technical University Dortmund (Coordinators); 2) State Institute for Family Research, University of Bamberg; 3) Family Research Centre, University of Jyväskylä; 4) Austrian Institute for Family Studies, University of Vienna; 5) Demographic Research Institute, Budapest; 6) Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon; 7) Department of Sociology and Social research, University of Milan-Bicocca; 8) Institute of International and Social Studies, Tallinn University; 9) London School of Economics; 10) Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union (COFACE), Brussels; 11) Forum delle Associazioni Familiari, Italy; 12) Mouvement Mondial des Mères, Brussels; Contact info@familyplatform.eu or visit http://www.familyplatform.eu for more information. ; The aim of this Critical Review Report is to describe and report on the international conference "Families and Family Policies in Europe - A Critical Review", wich took place in Lisbon, at the Institute for Social Sciences (University of Lisbon), in May 2010. Organized by FAMILYPLATFORM consortium, the main objective of this 3 day conference was to carry out a critical review of existing research on families and family policies in Europe. Drawing on expert reviews of the state of the art, critical statements by stakeholders and policy makers, and debate on the major challenges for research and policies, the conference was organized with a view to providing a major forum for discussing and identifying the design of future family policies and research. ; FAMILYPLATFORM (SSH 2009.2.2 Social platform on research for families and family policies): funded by the European Unions 7th Framework Programme for 18 months (October 2009 – March 2011).
In this state‐of‐art report we focus on some of the more relevant issues from the perspective of social inequality and families within and across European societies. We begin by addressing the three main topics included in this existential field by the Family Platform Project: migration, poverty, family violence. Additionally, we will look at two key issues which are important in contextualizing and discussing the above‐mentioned topics. First, we will summarize recent trends in social inequality in European societies. Secondly, we will review some of existing research on the relationship between social inequalities and families, by examining the impact of social inequality on family forms and dynamics as well as the transmission and reproduction of inequalities within families. Social inequality shapes family life, but families and their members must also be seen as actors in the system of inequality (transmitting inequalities to subsequent generations, reproducing them within the home and through their networks, and resisting the effects of inequality). Research review in this existential field was carried out separately on each of the abovementioned topics. Migration, poverty and family violence are large and autonomous fields of research which do not have common theoretical and methodological underpinnings or empirical data sets. For this report it was therefore important to grasp the major trends and findings within each research topic before moving on to broader conclusions on research into social inequalities and diversity of families in Europe. ; FAMILYPLATFORM (SSH‐2009‐3.2.2 Social platform on research for families and family policies): funded by the European Union's 7th Framework Programme for 18 months (October 2009 – March 2011).
The present study is based on research in teacher self-training in Education for Sustainable Development (Leitão, 2012). Water was the motivating theme. The priority of a fair distribution of water, guaranteeing the consumption, in quality and quantity, to all mankind and living beings is urgent. To respond to water-related sustainability challenges, people worldwide need to acquire "water literacy" about various aspects of water use and management in order to ensure safer water consumption and to contribute to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). Three case studies were carried out in schools in three African countries: Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique. A model of skills in education for sustainable development was applied (Sleurs, 2008). From the analysis of these case studies the theoretical assumptions of research were strengthened by the effective professional practice. But, on contrary, the results that the pillars of sustainable development presented in the basic research should be reviewed, placing the political dimension as transversal, thus strengthening education for sustainable development as fundamental for critical and responsible citizens of the present and of the future. This experience paves the way for future water-education and education for sustainable development projects; such as the follow-up of these three schools. Keywords: Sustainable Development; Education for Sustainable Development; Water-education and Water Literacy; Case Study
FAMILYPLATFORM's aim was to develop and publish a European Research Agenda for Research on Families and Family Policy, in order to enable policy makers and others to respond to current and future challenges facing families. Four concrete steps were taken towards elaborating the Research Agenda: 1. Charting the contemporary field of research on families and family policy in the EU. 2. Critically reviewing existing research involving a wide range of stakeholders. 3. An innovative exercise to identify future challenges facing families, so as to highlight future policy issues and develop questions for future research. 4. Bringing together all of the work into a Research Agenda on Families and Family Wellbeing for Europe. Each of these areas has a dedicated chapter in this book, presenting the main results and findings of this work. More than 120 civil society representatives, policy makers, and scientific experts were involved in the work of FAMILYPLATFORM. The sharing and negotiating of sometimes contradictory perspectives and thoughts was an exciting challenge for everyone involved, resulting in a great deal of shared learning. We hope that this book passes on some of these rich experiences, thereby improving the wellbeing of families in Europe through research and policy. ; Wellbeing of Families in Future Europe – Challenges for Research and Policy presents the results of the FAMILYPLATFORM project, a social platform on research for families and family policy.
FAMILYPLATFORM's aim was to develop and publish a European Research Agenda for Research on Families and Family Policy, in order to enable policy makers and others to respond to current and future challenges facing families. Four concrete steps were taken towards elaborating the Research Agenda: 1. Charting the contemporary field of research on families and family policy in the EU. 2. Critically reviewing existing research involving a wide range of stakeholders. 3. An innovative exercise to identify future challenges facing families, so as to highlight future policy issues and develop questions for future research. 4. Bringing together all of the work into a Research Agenda on Families and Family Wellbeing for Europe. Each of these areas has a dedicated chapter in this book, presenting the main results and findings of this work. More than 120 civil society representatives, policy makers, and scientific experts were involved in the work of FAMILYPLATFORM. The sharing and negotiating of sometimes contradictory perspectives and thoughts was an exciting challenge for everyone involved, resulting in a great deal of shared learning. We hope that this book passes on some of these rich experiences, thereby improving the wellbeing of families in Europe through research and policy. ; Wellbeing of Families in Future Europe – Challenges for Research and Policy presents the results of the FAMILYPLATFORM project, a social platform on research for families and family policy.
