Caring fathers in Europe: Toward universal caregiver families?

Abstract

Increasingly, men are challenging the assumption that care is a feminine task and are involving themselves in childcare and the care of dependent adults. However, this does not necessarily have consequences for their work, as they very rarely make costly adaptations in their working lives. In this study, we propose a definition of a man in care (MIC) as a working father who, in order to meet care needs, has adapted his working life in a way that potentially entails a financial penalty. We analyze the prevalence of men in care among men living with children below the age of 15 across the EU‐27 plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK using recent representative data (the European Labour Survey and its 2018 ad hoc module on work‐life balance). We find that although the number of men engaging in costly work adaptations is still very low when compared to their female counterparts, the characteristics of these men can be clearly outlined: they have a non‐manual occupation (managers excluded), they have temporary contracts or are self‐employed, they are partnered to women who hold jobs of 40 or more hours a week and have a high educational attainment, and they work in family‐friendly companies. Also, at the context level, the prevalence of MIC is clearly related to gender equality and values. However, we do not find evidence of any country having reached the universal caregiver model proposed by Nancy Fraser, including those with more advanced gender and welfare regimes.

Parental leave system design impacts on its gendered use: Paternity leave introduction in Spain

“…The less the payment, the lower men's use of the PLS. Only small percentages of men use work–life balance measures involving financial costs across Europe (Castro Garcia & Pazos‐Morán, 2016; Martínez‐Pastor et al, 2022), and Spain is no exception. Most men will not use a form of UPL that has been proposed in the new reform currently in discussion within the so‐called Spanish Law of Families, and this would increase gender inequality.…”

Política laboral y de igualdad de género: permisos parentales, lactancia y bienestar infantil

“…El 82,6% de los hombres entre 25 y 54 años estaba empleado en 2022 en España (INE, 2023). En España, solamente el 8.8% de los hombres con hijos menores de 15 años han adoptado medidas de conciliación que suponen una penalización económica frente a un 26% de las mujeres (Martínez-Pastor et al, 2022). En este sentido, el rol materno tradicional se considera el de proveedora principal de cuidados.…”