The book presents state of the art research on women's current position in European labour markets. It combines analysis of the latest trends in employment, occupational segregation, working time, unpaid work, social provisions (especially care provisions) and the impact of the financial crisis, with overall assessment of the actual impact of the European Employment Strategy and the specific impact of key policies, such as taxation and flexicurity. .

Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject Economics - Job market economics, grade: 1,00 (A+), Saint Mary's University (Economics), 12 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: The labour market within the European Union is an enormously remarkable area to observe several interesting issues regarding relationships between both genders. The multicultural conglomerate is now incorporating 25 autonomous European countries including approximately 379.400.000 million people, who are speaking over 30 different languages. As a result the European Community presents a great variety of distinctive cultures, different federal government systems and diverse lifestyles.

Based on extensive original research, this volume examines contemporary patterns of womens employment in Europe in the context of the profound economic, social and cultural changes that have taken place in recent years. It considers the progress made towards equal treatment in the labour market in the light of European Union action programmes, and

These are just some of the questions this controverisal book asks in its analysis of the European labour markets. By bringing together contributions from all over Europe, Women, Work and the Family in Europe outlines the similarities and differences between countries in terms of the problems of reconciling work and family. In doing so it questions the division of labour, not just in the labour market but also in the home, reviewing, for example, fatherhood and the effect of work commitments on men's time spent with their families. Contributions range from a study of family policies to the care of the elderly; from home working to gender roles, motherhood and class. Clearly written, systematic and comprehensive, this book reflects the growing interest in the European context and will appeal to students of social policy and European studies as well as all those involved in women's studies and sociology. Ruth Emerek, University of Aalborg, Denmark, Susan Mc Rae, Oxford Brookes University, Yvonne Hirdman, Sweden, Eileen Drew and Evelyn Mahon, both at Trinity College,

This refreshing volume introduces a theory for explaining cross-national differences in the social practice of women (and men) in the areas of family and employment. This provides a theoretical framework for the ensuing comprehensive cross-national analysis of the degree and forms of labour market integration of women in three European countries - Finland, West Germany and the Netherlands - from the 1950s until 2000. Cross-national differences are explained with a focus on cultural change and the development of welfare state, labour markets, the family and social movements. It is evident that change took place along different development paths that were based on deep-rooted historical differences in the cultural ideals of the family. Such historical differences and their explanations also form part of the analysis. The results of this survey contribute to the further development of cross-national sociology on social change, social and gender inequality, welfare state, labour markets and family structures.

Under communism there was, in the countries of Eastern Europe, a high level of gender equality in the labour market, particularly in terms of high participation rates by women. The transition from communism has upset this situation, with different impacts in the different countries. This book presents a comprehensive overview of gender and the labour market since the fall of communism in a wide range of Eastern European countries. Each country chapter describes the nature of inequality in the particular country, and goes on to examine the factors responsible for this, including government policies, changing social attitudes, levels of educational attainment and the impact of motherhood. Overall, the book provides an interesting comparison to the situation in Western developed countries, outlining differences and similarities. No one single Eastern European model emerges while, as in Western developed countries, a range of experiences and trends is the norm.

What types of work arrangements do women and men prefer? To what extent do current work patterns diverge from these preferences? These questions are of vital importance for European employment policy. To achieve a higher employment rate, it is necessary both to increase the number of jobs and to encourage work arrangements that accommodate individual preferences. In this way, women and men will be able to participate actively in the labour market throughout their working lives. This report looks at the role played by gender in determining labour market participation. It draws on findings from a major survey on employment options carried out by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions across all 15 EU Member States and Norway. It shows how women's and men's employment preferences are related to the kinds of jobs they do, as well as to their domestic circumstances, and compares the wishes of those who are currently employed with those of job-seekers. The study covers a range of aspects including self-employment, working from home, childcare, and working time arrangements.

Recoge: 1. Introduction and Aims of Workshop -- 2. Opening Session -- 3. Re-Conceptualinsing Families -- 4. Restructuring Labour Markets -- 5. Reconciling Family and Working Life -- 6. Optimistic -- 7. Conclusions.

Women of the European Union challenges gender-blind assessments of the economic and social aspects of the European Union policies to examine the real implications of Union for the diversity of women in the Member States. The authors also analyze how women's work and daily lives are shaped by local and national policies, by local and global economic conditions, and by diverse and changing cultural values. Detailed contemporary case studies explore how place comes together with class, life stage, sexuality and ethnicity to affect the way in which women are constrained and how they develop strategies to manage their lives.

Given the growing importance of Eastern European countries in the development of the EU, there is an urgent need to reconstruct the recent dynamic developments in women's work and care in these societies, and the socio-political determinants thereof. Considering their specific cultural, economic and historical development, it can be assumed that the trends and determinants of women's labour market trajectories in CEE countries differ significantly from those in the other European countries that have frequently made up the basis for established theories in social and labour market research. This being the case, can 'standard' theoretical approaches, mostly modelled on evidence from Western Europe, be transferred to the analysis of Eastern European countries? This edited collection scrutinises pivotal aspects of women's careers in Eastern Europe, providing a detailed overview of trends and determinants of women's employment in Eastern Europe, and reflecting critically on theoretical approaches in social and labour market research.