Policy Press

Designing Parental Leave Policy

The Norway Model and the Changing Face of Fatherhood

By Berit Brandth and Elin Kvande

Published

Jan 19, 2022

Page count

238 pages

Browse the series

Sociology of Children and Families

ISBN

978-1529201581

Dimensions

234 x 156 mm

Imprint

Bristol University Press

Published

Jul 9, 2020

Page count

238 pages

Browse the series

Sociology of Children and Families

ISBN

978-1529201574

Dimensions

234 x 156 mm

Imprint

Bristol University Press

Published

Jul 9, 2020

Page count

238 pages

Browse the series

Sociology of Children and Families

ISBN

978-1529201604

Imprint

Bristol University Press

Published

Jul 9, 2020

Page count

238 pages

Browse the series

Sociology of Children and Families

ISBN

978-1529201604

Imprint

Bristol University Press
Designing Parental Leave Policy

Nordic countries lead the way in facilitating better work-family integration through their design of parental leave policies that encourage men towards life courses with greater care responsibilities.

Based on original research, this compelling book offers a novel analysis of the everyday parental practices of fathers and parents in Norway as a way of understanding the workings of labour market and welfare policies, whilst considering how migrant fathers might relate to the expectations such laws generate. The authors showcase how this style of men’s care work constitutes a re-gendering of men by promoting ‘caring masculinities’.

"Through this original study of fathering and care practices in the welfare state, the authors make an important contribution to an evolving field of research on everyday family life." Allan Westerling, Roskilde University

Elin Kvande is Professor at the Department of Sociology and Political Science at Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. Her research interests include dynamics and change in gender relations in organizations, welfare state policies and fathers' use of care policies.

Berit Brandth is Professor Emerita at Department of Sociology and Political Science at Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Her main areas of interest include work, family and care policies with a special focus on fathering and parental leave, as well as rural gender studies.

Introduction

Part 1: The importance of leave design

Fathers’ sense of entitlement to ear-marked and shared parental leave

Decomposing policy design: outsider-within perspectives

Flexible use of the father’s quota: Problems and possibilities

Part 2: Caregiving – fathers in transition

Masculinity and child care

Home alone on leave or with the mother present

Fathers experiencing solo leave: Change and Continuities

Immigrant fathers framing parental leave and caregiving

Part 3: Reconciling work and care

Changing fathers and work–life boundary setting

Negotiating parental leave and working life

Workplace support of fathers’ parental leave use

Managers: Irreplaceable in caregiving and replaceable at work

Conclusions: Change in policies, fathers’ caregiving and the ideal-worker norm