The Politics of Work-Family Policies : Comparing Japan, France, Germany and the United States

This book critiques the idealization of work-family policies in Sweden and France and argues for the need to think carefully about policy changes. Patricia Boling discusses policy processes in the US, France, Germany and Japan, addressing the need to support working families with practical ideas about how to initiate change.

The work-family policies of Sweden and France are often held up as models for other nations to follow, yet political structures and resources can present obstacles to fundamental change that must be taken into account. Patricia Boling argues that we need to think realistically about how to create political and policy change in this vital area. She evaluates policy approaches in the US, France, Germany and Japan, analyzing their policy histories, power resources, and political institutions to explain their approaches, and to propose realistic trajectories toward change. Arguing that much of the story lies in the way that job markets are structured, Boling shows that when women have reasonable chances of resuming their careers after giving birth, they are more likely to have children than in countries where even brief breaks put an end to a career, or where motherhood restricts them to part-time work.