Mothers Left without a Man: Poverty and Single Parenthood in China
Autor/in:
Li, Qin
Quelle: Social Inclusion, 8 (2020) 2, S 114-122
Inhalt: Most single-parent families in China are headed by women, and single mothers represent one of the fastest-growing groups living in poverty. Yet few studies have examined this group. This article seeks to better understand how (and why) single mothers are disadvantaged in China. Based on in-depth interviews conducted in Zhuhai, Guangzhou Province, it demonstrates that single mothers are left behind in four respects: lower income and worse economic conditions, lower employment and career development opportunities, worse physical and mental health, and poorer interpersonal relationships and less chance of remarriage. The causes of these disadvantages include Chinese family beliefs, a culture of maternal sacrifice, the traditional division of labour between men and women and social stereotypes about single mothers. The article highlights the impacts of Chinese familism culture on single mothers and advocates incorporating a gender perspective into the agenda of family policy and other relevant social policies in China.
Schlagwörter:China; China; allein erziehender Elternteil; single parent; woman; Armut; poverty; Benachteiligung; deprivation; Ungleichheit; inequality; gender-specific factors; kulturelle Faktoren; cultural factors; Tradition; tradition; Mutterschaft; motherhood; Geschlechtsrolle; gender role; Stereotyp; stereotype; Sozialpolitik; social policy; Ostasien; Far East; familism culture; single mothers
SSOAR Kategorie:Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung, Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie
The transition to parenthood in the French and German speaking parts of Switzerland
Autor/in:
Zimmermann, Regula; LeGoff, Jean-Marie
Quelle: Social Inclusion, 8 (2020) 4, S 35-45
Inhalt: After the first transition to parenthood, most couples adopt a gendered labor division, where mothers become main caregivers and fathers breadwinners of the family. By comparing two distinct language regions within one country, the present article explores how parents’ gendered labor division comes into existence and what role gendered culture and social policy play. The analysis draws on in-depth interviews with 23 German speaking and 73 French speaking participants from Switzerland. The results reveal that French speaking women and men presume an egalitarian labor division as parents. In German speaking regions, however, participants anticipate that mothers will become the main caregivers and fathers the breadwinners. It is shown that the labor market structure, which is in line with the male breadwinner norm, contributes to men's full-time employment, whereas mothers' labor market insertion is influenced by the acceptance of non-parental childcare and to a lesser extent by the offer of childcare facilities. Further, mothers experience more time conflicts than fathers, and the less mothers’ paid work is accepted, the more they suffer from feelings of guilt when being employed.
Schlagwörter:Schweiz; Switzerland; Familienpolitik; family policy; gender; Ungleichheit; inequality; Geschlechterverhältnis; gender relations; Arbeitsteilung; division of labor; Elternschaft; parenthood
SSOAR Kategorie:Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie, Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung
Quelle: Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 20 (2019) 1, 37 S
Inhalt: Despite the social normalisation and moral de-problematisation of separation and divorce, they are usually anything but normal or unproblematic events for those affected. The events have to be ordered, the separation needs to be legitimised and one's own identity requires rehabilitation; this can result in striking narrative dynamics in qualitative interviews dealing with separation. Previous research has revealed the connection between the form, content, and function of separation talk as well as social differentiation: role, gender, and socio-structural factors. To the functional analyses of the narratives, of 46 interviews (23 ex-couples) in our study "Couples after separation", we add, as a further and superordinate differentiation, the category of social milieu. We exemplify our argument that separation talk varies depending on this dimension by exploring the contrasting individualised and traditional milieus. They differ in a fundamental way in their relationship models and corresponding separation legitimations, and in their plausibility strategies and in their conception of what constitutes a desirable identity. Beyond the concrete subject of separation and separation talk, we also touch on two important aspects of qualitative research: the differentiation of milieus and the relationship between performance and representation in interviews.
Gendered practices in child protection: shifting mother accountability and father invisibility in situations of domestic violence
Autor/in:
Archer-Kuhn, Beth; de Villiers, Stefan
Quelle: Social Inclusion, 7 (2019) 1, S 228-237
Inhalt: This article reports on an exploratory, qualitative, multiple-methods study that included individual interviews and a focus group with child protection services (CPS) workers in a large city in Alberta, Canada. The findings illuminate current CPS worker practices in situations of domestic violence where inclusion and exclusion decisions are made for service provision, and the ways in which documents reflect these day-to-day practices; how service user descriptions are constructed and reconstructed, the social problem of domestic violence conceptualized, and the ways in which professional development training encourages critical thinking about existing practices to create new solutions for families experiencing domestic violence. Thematic analysis reveals three themes about CPS workers' experience: 1) current practices reflect invisibility of men and accountability of women; 2) personal and professional shift in perspectives on who to work with, gender expectations, and how CPS are delivered; and 3) reflexive practice into potential intervention strategies and professional development training. The findings suggest specific recommendations for practice including the need to engage men in child welfare practice, shift perspective about service delivery with families experiencing domestic violence, and account for gender norms and practices in service delivery.
Why Do Lone Mothers Fare Worse than Lone Fathers? Lone Parenthood and Welfare Benefit Receipt in Germany
Autor/in:
Geisler, Esther; Kreyenfeld, Michaela
Quelle: Comparative Population Studies - Zeitschrift für Bevölkerungswissenschaft, 44 (2019) , S 61-84
Inhalt: This article uses data from the German microcensuses of 2007 and 2012 to examine gender differences in welfare reliance among lone parents. Binary logistic regression was employed as the method of analysis. We show that the risk of welfare benefit receipt is lower among lone fathers than lone mothers. We also find that these gender differences can be partially explained by the socio-economic characteristics of lone fathers; compared to lone mothers, lone fathers are, on average, better educated and more likely to be living with older children. Gender differences decreased over time among parents who have never married, but remained constant among divorced parents. We present a discussion of our findings in light of recent policy reforms, in particular the reform of the German Maintenance Law of 2008, which curbed the ability of a divorced parent to collect support from an ex-spouse.
Schlagwörter:Leistungsbezug; father; Sozialhilfeempfänger; sozioökonomische Faktoren; Federal Republic of Germany; Mutter; Unterhalt; labor force participation; labor market policy; poverty; single parent; social policy; Erwerbsbeteiligung; receipt of benefits; Alleinstehender; Armut; Arbeitsmarktpolitik; mother; allein erziehender Elternteil; socioeconomic factors; welfare recipient; gender-specific factors; support; single; Vater; Sozialpolitik; lone parents; German Microcensus (2007 and 2012)
Sammelrezension: Aktuelle Forschungen zu Mutterschaft und Elternschaft
Autor/in:
Visel, Stefanie
Quelle: Femina Politica - Zeitschrift für feministische Politikwissenschaft, 28 (2019) 1, S 153-156
Inhalt: Sammelrezension: 1) Marie Reusch, 2018: Emanzipation undenkbar? Mutterschaft und Feminismus. Münster: Westfälisches Dampfboot. ISBN 978-3-89691-291-6. 2) Lisa Yashodhara Haller, 2018: Elternschaft im Kapitalismus: Staatliche Einflussfaktoren auf die
Arbeitsteilung junger Eltern. Frankfurt/M., New York: Campus Verlag. ISBN 978-359350-777-4. 3) Melanee Thomas, Amanda Bittner (Hg.), 2017: Mothers and Others: The Role of Parenthood in Politics. Vancouver: UBC Press. ISBN 978-0-7748-3458-2.
What Helps and What Hinders? Exploring the Role of Workplace Characteristics for Parental Leave Use and Its Career Consequences
Autor/in:
Samtleben, Claire; Bringmann, Julia; Bünning, Mareike; Hipp, Lena
Quelle: Social Sciences, 8 (2019) 10, S 1-30
Inhalt: The division of parental leave among couples today is still unequal - even in countries with progressive leave schemes. Given the gendered nature of the workplace, we examine how organizational characteristics relate to fathers' uptake and length of parental leave as well as to the perceived career consequences of leave uptake among those fathers who took leave. In our mixed methods study, we draw on unique quantitative and qualitative data on different-sex couples with young children in Germany (2015). We find that the fear of professional repercussions and the lack of a replacement at work inhibit fathers both from taking leave in general and, for those who take leave, from taking it for more than two months. Interestingly, however, the majority of fathers who took leave did not think that their leave negatively affected their professional advancement. This positive evaluation was independent of the length of leave. We compared fathers' perceived leave consequences to those of mothers, who tended to have a more negative view of the impact of taking leave on their careers. Both fathers and mothers were more likely to report negative career consequences if they worked in organizations that promoted a strong ideal worker norm, that is, where employees thought that they were expected to prioritize paid work over their private life.
Schlagwörter:Arbeitsplatz; job; gender-specific factors; Elternurlaub; parental leave; Inanspruchnahme; recourse; Auswirkung; impact; beruflicher Aufstieg; career advancement; soziale Ungleichheit; social inequality; Organisationskultur; organizational culture; Familie-Beruf; work-family balance; Federal Republic of Germany; gender equality; ideal worker norm; mixed methods; workplace culture
Die Bedeutung der zeitlichen Einbettung von Geburten für die Erwerbsbiographien ost- und westdeutscher Frauen
Autor/in:
Putz, Tobias
Quelle: Universität Bamberg, Fak. Sozial- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Professur für Demografie; Bamberg (Population and Family Studies, 4), 2019. 297 S
Inhalt: Als Ausgangspunkt der Arbeit dient die Beobachtung, dass in den letzten Jahrzehnten eine Vielzahl gesellschaftlicher Entwicklungen stattgefunden hat, die dazu geführt haben, dass die Wahl eines geeigneten Zeitpunkts für den Übergang zur Elternschaft zunehmend schwieriger geworden ist. So haben verschiedene Wandlungsprozesse, wie etwa die Bildungsexpansion oder die steigende Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen, dazu geführt, dass nicht nur das Zeitfenster, welches potenziell für eine Geburt zur Verfügung steht, immer kleiner geworden ist, sondern parallel hierzu auch die Opportunitätskosten innerhalb dieses Zeitfensters sukzessive zugenommen haben. Vor dem Hintergrund dieser Entwicklungen richtet sich die Arbeit auf die Frage, welche Karriereeffekte mit einer unterschiedlichen zeitlichen Einbettung von Geburten in den Lebens- bzw. Erwerbsverlauf für ost- und westdeutsche Frauen einhergehen. Um diese Forschungsfrage beantworten zu können, gliedern sich die empirischen Analysen in zwei Teile: In einem ersten Schritt richtet sich der Fokus des Erkenntnisinteresses dabei auf die Bedeutung des Timings und Spacings der Geburten für Erwerbsverläufe. In einem zweiten Schritt werden die vielschichtigen Konsequenzen der zeitlichen Einbettung von Geburten für Erwerbsübergänge untersucht. Neben dem Wiedereinstieg in den Arbeitsmarkt wird dabei auch der Prozess des Arbeitsmarktausstiegs betrachtet.
Schlagwörter:Geburt; birth; woman; Biographie; biography; Erwerbsarbeit; gainful work; Federal Republic of Germany; alte Bundesländer; old federal states; neue Bundesländer; New Federal States; Elternschaft; parenthood; Lebenslauf; life career; Karriere; career
SSOAR Kategorie:Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung, Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie
Building a new life and (re)making a family: Young Syrian refugee women in the Netherlands navigating between family and career
Titelübersetzung:Ein neues Leben beginnen und eine Familie (wieder)herstellen: Wie junge geflüchtete Frauen aus Syrien in den Niederlanden zwischen Familie und Beruf navigieren
Autor/in:
Ruis, Ada
Quelle: Zeitschrift für Familienforschung, 31 (2019) 3, S 287-302
Inhalt: This article presents results of a qualitative analysis based on biographic narratives of three young, well-
educated women from Syria. They arrived in the Netherlands between 2015 and 2017 in the context of
family reunion. The central question is how young Syrian women navigate between two major projects
that ask for their agency, being family and work. It is argued that both occupational career development
and the building of a family are ‘agentic projects’ that aim to contribute to the establishment of a new life
and to regain continuity. The analyses demonstrate that both projects are closely intertwined. Agency
emerges as highly relational and intersecting with the women’s position in the life course, timing of life
events, ability to adapt career goals to the new situation, and impact of social contexts on family rela-
tions.
Schlagwörter:woman; Flüchtling; refugee; Syrien; Syria; Biographie; biography; Familienzusammenführung; family reunion; Mutterschaft; motherhood; Familie-Beruf; work-family balance; Asylpolitik; asylum policy; Integration; integration; Niederlande; Netherlands; refugee family resettlement; life course perspective; agency; displacement and gender; young refugee mothers; biographic narratives
SSOAR Kategorie:Migration, Familiensoziologie, Sexualsoziologie, Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung