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

290 Pages·2015·2.545 MB·English

by  Patricia Boling

ThePoliticsofWork–FamilyPolicies
Thework–familypoliciesofSwedenandFranceareoftenheldupasmodels
forothernationstofollow,yetpoliticalstructuresandresourcescanpresent
obstacles to fundamental change that must be taken into account. Patricia
Bolingarguesthatweneedtothinkrealisticallyabouthowtocreatepolitical
andpolicychangeinthisvitalarea.SheevaluatespolicyapproachesintheUS,
France,GermanyandJapan,analyzingtheirpolicyhistories,powerresources
andpoliticalinstitutionstoexplaintheirapproaches,andtoproposerealistic
trajectoriestowardchange.Arguingthatmuchofthestoryliesinthewaythat
jobmarketsarestructured,Bolingshowsthatwhenwomenhavereasonable
chancesofresumingtheircareersaftergivingbirth,theyaremorelikelyto
havechildrenthanincountrieswhereevenbriefbreaksputanendtoacareer,
orwheremotherhoodrestrictsthemtopart-timework.
patricia boling isanassociateprofessorintheDepartmentofPolitical
ScienceatPurdueUniversityintheUnitedStates.Sheisinterestedinhow
issueshousedintheprivatesphereofthefamilygettranslatedintonegotiable
political issues, and has written a book about the politics of intimate life,
editedabookonnewreproductivetechnologies,andauthoredvariousarticles
andchaptersrelatedtopublic–privatedistinctionsandwork–familypolicies.
Having lived in Japan for three years, her research agenda has considered
variouspracticesthatmostlyoccurintheintimacyoffamilythatraiseissues
ofjusticeandequalitybothinJapanandaroundtheworld.

The Politics of Work–Family
Policies
Comparing Japan, France, Germany
and the United States
PatriciaBoling
UniversityPrintingHouse,CambridgeCB28BS,UnitedKingdom
CambridgeUniversityPressispartoftheUniversityofCambridge.
ItfurtherstheUniversity’smissionbydisseminatingknowledgeinthepursuitof
education,learningandresearchatthehighestinternationallevelsofexcellence.
www.cambridge.org
Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781107098121
(cid:2)C PatriciaBoling2015
Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception
andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements,
noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewritten
permissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublished2015
AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloguinginPublicationdata
Boling,Patricia,1953–
Thepoliticsofwork–familypolicies:comparingJapan,France,Germanyandthe
UnitedStates/PatriciaBoling.
pages cm
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-1-107-09812-1(hardback)
1.Workandfamily. 2.Workandfamily–Governmentpolicy. 3.Familypolicy.
I.Title.
HD4904.25.B65 2015
306.3(cid:3)6–dc23 2014046183
ISBN978-1-107-09812-1Hardback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyof
URLsforexternalorthird-partyinternetwebsitesreferredtointhispublication,
anddoesnotguaranteethatanycontentonsuchwebsitesis,orwillremain,
accurateorappropriate.
Contents
Listoffigures page vi
Listoftables viii
Listofinterviewees x
Preface xiv
Acknowledgements xvii
1 Whywork–familypoliciesmatter,andhowbesttostudythem 1
2 DemographicandpolicytrendsinOECDcountries 24
3 FamilialistpoliciesinFrance 56
4 Germanyenactschange 78
5 Japanconfrontslowfertilityandrapidaging 106
6 TheUnitedStatesreliesonfamiliesandmarkets 147
7 Evaluatingwork–familypolicies 177
8 WhytheUnitedStatescan’tbeSweden 204
Bibliography 229
Index 254
v
Figures
2.1 Women’sageatfirstchildbirthin2009.Source:OECD,
2012b. page 26
2.2 Increasesinageatfirstbirth,from1970to1995and1995to
2009.Source:OECD,2012b 26
2.3 PopulationpyramidsforJapan,1970and2015.Source:National
InstituteforPopulationandSocialSecurityResearch(NIPSSR),
Japan,2014 28
2.4 Thegenderpaygapformothersandnon-mothersvs.menfor
workers,25–44.Source:OECD,2012c,170 38
2.5 Mothers’andfathers’contributionstounpaidcareandhousehold
work(forparentsofatleastonechildunderagesix,inminutes
perday).Source:TamiyaandShikata,2010,53 42
2.6 Spendingonfamiliesviacash,servicesandtaxmeasuresas
percentageofGDP,2009.Source:OECD,2013b 44
2.7 Averageenrollmentofchildrenunderthreeinformalchildcare
(2010).Source:OECD,2013d 48
2.8 Publicexpenditureonchildcareandearlyeducationservicesas
percentageofGDP(2009).Source:OECD,2013k 50
2.9 Netchildcarecostsforadual-earnerfamilyearning167percent
oftheaveragewagewithtwochildreninfull-timecare(2008).
Source:OECD,2013e 51
4.1 Percentageofchildrenunderagethreeinfull-timechildcare
(definedas36hoursaweek),March2013.Source:
Kindertagesbetreuungregional,2013,11 89
5.1 NumberofpubliclyfundedchildcarecentersinJapan1947–1994.
Source:Lambert,2007,11,Fig.2 113
5.2 Enrollmentinlicensedchildcare,1991–2011.Source:MHLW,
2008,2012a 115
5.3 Numberofchildrenattendingunlicensedformsofcare,
1998–2011.Source:MHLW,2013 118
vi
Listoffigures vii
5.4 KuruminMarkforchildrearing-friendlybusinesses.Source:this
markisfoundinnumerousMHLWpublicationsrelatedto
work–familypolicybeginningin2009.Reproducedby
permission. 133
5.5 (cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:2)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:7)(cid:2)(cid:8)(cid:2)(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:9):acommunity/fieldfullof
workingfrogs.Reproducedbypermission. 135
5.6 Ikumenlogo.Reproducedbypermission. 136
6.1 EnrollmentsinHeadStart,1965–2012.Source:OfficeofHead
Start,2012b,2013,2014. 157
6.2 AppropriationsforHeadStart,1965–2013.Source:Officeof
HeadStart,2012b,2013,2014 158
6.3 NumberofchildrenenrolledundertheChildCareDevelopment
Fund,2000–2011.Source:CLASP(2011) 161
6.4 FederalappropriationstoChildCareDevelopmentFund,
1995–2013;totalappropriations,2001–2012.Sources:US
Congress(2004);ChildCareandDevelopmentFund(2013);
CLASP(2011;thesefiguresincludeTANFrebatesandstateand
federalcontributions). 162
7.1 Giniindexofincomeinequalities.Source:OECD,2011a 195
Tables
2.1 Totalfertilityrates:numberofchildrenborntowomenaged
15to49 page 29
2.2 FemaleLaborForceParticipationRatesbycountry,
1980–2008 33
2.3 Employmentratesofwomenbypresenceofchildren,2003 34
2.4 Percentageofwomenwhoworkpart-time,andpercentageof
part-timeworkerswhoarefemale,2007 36
2.5 Percentageofwomen,aged25–54,employedininvoluntary
part-timeemployment 37
2.6 Lowwageincidence 40
2.7 Standardhoursperweekandvacationdays 41
2.8 Maternity,parentalandpaternityleaves,2011 46
2.9 Percentageofchildreninformalchildcareandpreschool/
childcarebyage(2010) 49
3.1 Familyallowances 60
3.2 Birthgrants,parentalleavepayments,supportforprivately
arrangedchildcare 65
3.3 SummaryofFrenchwork–familyreconciliationpolicies 66
4.1 ChildcareinstitutionsinEastandWestGermanybefore
unification 83
4.2 Women’sworkinghoursaccordingtotheirchildren’sages,1999 85
4.3 ChildcareinfrastructureinEastandWestGermanyin1999
(inpercentageofchildrencovered) 85
4.4 SummaryofGermanwork–familyreconciliationpolicies 88
5.1 SummaryofJapanesework–familyreconciliationpolicies 107
5.2 Developmentsinchildcare,1991–2010 116
5.3 Percentagesofallpreviouslyworkingwomenwhotake
childcareleave 126
6.1 Familysupportrelatedtaxexpenditures 165
6.2 SummaryofUSwork–familyreconciliationpolicies 169
7.1 Percentageofchildreninformalchildcareorpreschool,2010 178
7.2 Maternity,parentalandpaternityleaves,2011–2012 179
viii