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KMID : 1001320100370010031
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Social Welfare Policy
2010 Volume.37 No. 1 p.31 ~ p.49
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The Problem of "Work-Family Balance" in European Welfare States: Focusing on the Women`s Employment and Child Care
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Yoon Do-Yyun
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Abstract
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The problem of balancing work and family life has emerged as a major policy challenge in european welfare states. This study aims to examine the content and the level of ‘work-family balance’ in three european welfare states(Sweden, Germany, Britain) by considering the change of women’s employment and the policy response in relation to child care. The results can be summarized as follows. First, during the past 10 years, the employment rate of women has increased faster than that of men in most european welfare states. This change reflects the increase of women’s social participation and social change on the one hand. But on the other hand, it reflects the increase of factors which induce or force women to participate in labour market. Secondly, in relation to the level of ‘work-family balance’, there are still big differences among three countries. Sweden was and is the foremost. Third, regarding the prospect in future, Sweden is likely to remain as the most successful welfare state in solving the problem of ‘work-family balance’ in so far as the wide range of public services and generous family policy is maintained. Meanwhile, in the case of Germany and the UK, it is still questionable if the level of ‘work-family balance’ can be improved more dramatically. In spite of some efforts in child care services last decade, these two countries are still characterized by negative features in their tradition of welfare state’s development.
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KEYWORD
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welfare state, work-family balance, women`s employment rate, child care
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