Family Change And Family Policies In Great Britain Canada New Zealand And The United States

This is the first volume in a series intended to report on the evolution of family policies in Western welfare states (and to compare current provisions). The developments are presented in the context of a report on family change for each of the countries, and with a view of the economic, political, and institutional climates in which they occurred. Topics covered in this book include family formation and current structural patterns, families and the division of labor, the income of families (earnings, taxation, transfer programs), and also the political and institutional contexts for family policy. An extensive bibliography is provided.

"This comparative analysis of the trends and nature of state support for families is addressed to students, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers interested in family issues and their political dimension."--BOOK JACKET.

Family policy holds a particular status in the quest for a more equitable world as it intersects the rights of women, children, and workers. But despite local and global efforts and initiatives, the state of family policy in different areas of the world varies widely. Through a cross-section of countries on six continents, Family Policies Across the Globe offers the current state of the laws concerning family life, structure, and services, providing historical, cultural, and socioeconomic context. Lucidly written chapters analyze key aspects of family definition, marriage, child well-being, work/family balance, and family assistance, reviewing underlying social issues and controversies as they exist in each country. Details of challenges to implementation and methods of evaluating policy outcomes bring practical realities into sharp focus, and each chapter concludes with recommendations for improvement at the research, service, and governmental levels. The result is an important comparative look at how governments support families, and how societies perceive themselves as they evolve. Among the issues covered: Sierra Leone: toward sustainable family policies. Russia: folkways versus state-ways. Japan: policy responses to a declining population. Australia: reform, revolutions, and lingering effects. Canada: a patchwork policy. Colombia: a focus on policies for vulnerable families. Researchers , professors and graduate students in the fields of social policy, child and family studies, psychology, sociology, and social work will find in Family Policies Across the Globe a reference that will grow in importance as world events continue to develop.

In the US and UK there has been a transformation in child care, family leave, social assistance and tax credits over the last twenty years. This book explores the factors behind these changes. With detailed case studies, it shows that ideas and the power to wield them are crucial factors in the transformation of family policy.

The latest work from respected family policy expert Shirley Zimmerman. Family Policy offers the only single-authored reference book to provide a comprehensive and coherent introduction to the topic. The author clearly and cogently guides students through the foundations, policy frameworks, and implications of policy decisions for family well-being, ending with a carefully considered set of conclusions and implications for policy practice.

Over the past quarter-century, the pace of family change in most Western countries has been extremely rapid; we have witnessed the substantial erosion of the traditional male-breadwinner, two-parent family form. This change inherently makes obsolete those laws and policies that assume the breadwinner/homemaker family structure. Should We Worry about Family Change? unpacks the current controversies and larger issues surrounding family change: the nature of family change; the impact of family change on the lives of women; and the need for amendment to our social policies and laws to reflect today's diverse family patterns. Drawing on her vast understanding of the historical development of the family and the social policies that have attempted to meet familial concerns, Lewis comments on such pivotal topics as absent fathers, the increasing economic independence of women, and the effects of the rise of cohabitation. Lewis ultimately suggests that there are policy options available to increase the choices men and women make about their contributions to family life and to promote family responsibility. Drawing on a wide range of literature, cross-national data, and policy approaches, Lewis engages her readers in a highly public and timely debate.

Recent years have seen significant changes in the social policies of many liberal welfare-states; this is especially true of social programs for families with children. Increasingly, governments are making family policy trade-offs, reducing support for some families but improving it for others. Why are such trade-offs occurring, and how do governments differ in their approach to family social policy? This study addresses these questions by examining the political, demographic, and socio-economic factors influencing the restructuring of family-related programs in OECD countries. Adopting a feminist political economy approach, Maureen Baker shows that while some governments encourage their citizens to see children as 'future resources,' and promote strong support for reproductive health programs, child welfare services, women's refuges, subsidized childcare, and pay equity, others make these claims while simultaneously reducing family incomes through the deregulation of labour markets and restrictions on income support. Ultimately, Baker demonstrates that nation states with the best outcomes for families offer a variety of social supports, which are increasingly important as global markets reduce economic security for some families while improving the financial situation of others. This study also explores strategies employed by states to incorporate or resist international pressures, and the reasons why some states tenaciously defend their family policy traditions while others restructure according to international guidelines. Drawing from nation-based research, cross-national studies, and international data bases, Restructuring Family Policies successfully integrates mainstream academic debates about restructuring welfare states with feminist research findings and current policy concerns.

Om familiepolitik i Sverige, Norge, Ungarn, Tjekkoslovakiet, Frankrig, Østrig, Vesttyskland, Polen, Finland, Danmark, England, Canada, Israel, og U.S.A.