Gender Matters: Rethinking the Childcare Model in Hong Kong

Leung, Lai‐ching

doi:10.1111/chso.12260

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Last, while the current investigation assessed mothers’ work schedules and their involvement in children’s education, some scholars have asserted that fathers’ work schedules may have differential effects on parenting outcomes ( Davis et al, 2006 ; Kim, 2021 ). Though research on fatherhood indicates that fathers have become similar to mothers in experiencing the dual demands of parenting and employment ( Nomaguchi and Johnson, 2016 ), the gendered division of labor still prevails ( García-Román, 2021 ), particularly in Hong Kong ( Leung, 2018 ). Under this circumstance, fathers may not perceive the same pressures as mothers to recover missed time with children when working non-standard schedules, suggesting that negative parenting outcomes associated with non-standard work schedules might be more salient among fathers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parenting in a 24/7 Economy: Mothers’ Non-standard Work Schedules and Involvement in Children’s Education

2022

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Evidence suggests that parental involvement in children’s education has a positive impact on children’s educational achievements and wellbeing outcomes. The trend toward 24/7 economies has obliged many mothers to work non-standard schedules (i.e., schedules outside traditional daytime, Monday–Friday work schedules). This has raised concerns over how non-standard work schedules affect parenting behaviors, including paternal involvement in children’s education. Using data from mothers of young children (age 5–6) in Hong Kong (N = 433), this study examined the association between maternal work schedules and involvement in children’s home and school activities. The results of structural equation modeling found that weekend work was associated with lower levels of home-based involvement. By contrast, working non-standard hours was linked with higher levels of school-based involvement. This pattern suggested that non-standard work schedules could make it either easier or harder for mothers to balance work and family responsibilities, depending on the circumstances (i.e., whether they work non-standard hours or weekends). These findings, indicating that the effects of non-standard work schedules are not uniformly negative or positive, warrant sophisticated policy efforts to address the potential adverse effects of non-standard work schedules and avoid undermining their potential to be used as a family-friendly option.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parenting in a 24/7 Economy: Mothers’ Non-standard Work Schedules and Involvement in Children’s Education

2022

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“…By contrast, fathers working nonstandard hours were found to spend fewer hours with their preschool-age children than their counterparts working standard daytime hours [ 66 ]. Indeed, fathers often play a supplemental role in child care, especially in Hong Kong [ 67 ]. Therefore, fathers working NWSs may be under less pressure to compensate for their time at the workplace, suggesting father’s time for parenting and/or parent-child interaction may be more easily influenced by NWSs [ 68 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental Nonstandard Work Schedules and Child Development: Evidence from Dual-Earner Families in Hong Kong

Kim

2021

IJERPH

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With the emergence of 24/7 economies, the practice of working nonstandard schedules has become increasingly common. This trend raises a concern about how parental nonstandard work schedules affect child development outcomes. Using data from dual-earner families with young children (age 5–6) in Hong Kong, this study examined the association between parental work schedules and child development. It also examined under what conditions parental nonstandard work schedules affect child development, with a focus on the moderating role of family income. Results showed that paternal nonstandard work schedules were negatively associated with overall child development. This association was particularly salient among low-income families. By contrast, maternal nonstandard work schedules were not associated with child development outcomes. These findings suggest that it is important to equip parents, in particular low-income fathers, to address challenges resulting from their nonstandard work schedules.

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“…In 2018, the labor force participation rate of women stood at just 50.8% and it was lower than that of men (68.5%) (Census and Statistics Department, 2019b) (note 8). This difference is largely attributable to women's continued struggles to reconcile paid work with unpaid care work and inadequate childcare services (Leung, 2018;Leung & Chan, 2012). In particular, in the wake of childbirth, mothers from low-income families are likely to encounter greater difficulties in staying in the labor market compared with those from families with higher incomes due to a lack of resources and childcare support (Leung, 2018).…”

Section: Mpf and Alternativesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This difference is largely attributable to women's continued struggles to reconcile paid work with unpaid care work and inadequate childcare services (Leung, 2018;Leung & Chan, 2012). In particular, in the wake of childbirth, mothers from low-income families are likely to encounter greater difficulties in staying in the labor market compared with those from families with higher incomes due to a lack of resources and childcare support (Leung, 2018). Furthermore, research has shown that despite a steady increase in female labor force participation among married women in Hong Kong in the past two decades, education plays a key role in this phenomenon, with higher education levels associated with a higher chance of labor force participation among women (Tong & Chiu, 2017) (note 9).…”

Section: Mpf and Alternativesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Concerning the Hong Kong government's response to the male-breadwinner model, it is noteworthy that its endorsement of Chinese tradition plays a key role in its employment of profamily policy measures which favors the model. In Chinese societies, the family has been considered the main source of welfare provision, in which women bear most of the care responsibilities (Leung, 2018). Nowadays the Hong Kong government also openly emphasizes the role of the family in meeting people's welfare needs.…”

Section: Mpf and Alternativesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Policy Measures Used by the Hong Kong Government to Respond to the Adult Worker Model and the Male-breadwinner Model

Yu¹,

Lo²,

Chau³

2021

Contemporary Perspectives in Family Research

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There have been ongoing discussions on the male-breadwinner model and the adult worker model in research on family-related welfare policies. The male-breadwinner model posits that men work full-time outside the home and women take on domestic work. The adult worker model suggests that women and men should be equally expected to play an active role in the paid labor market. The aim of this article is to explore the responses made by the Hong Kong government to these two models. We meet this aim by presenting two analytical tasks. First, we study the policy measures used by the Hong Kong government to support women in their participation in formal employment and the local work-based pension scheme (the Mandatory Provident Fund) as well as other policy measures that offer potential for enabling family care providers to accumulate resources for secure retirement. Second, we discuss the findings of our study on Hong Kong young women by focusing on their views on the extent to which the government supports them to save pension incomes through the Mandatory Provident Fund and exploring alternative ways for them to achieve secure retirement. Based on these two analytical tasks, we argue that the Hong Kong government uses a 'weak action strategy' to respond to the adult worker model and the malebreadwinner model, and that this strategy fails to meet women's diverse preferences for their roles in the labor market and the family.

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Gender Matters: Rethinking the Childcare Model in Hong Kong

Cited by 9 publications

References 19 publications

Parenting in a 24/7 Economy: Mothers’ Non-standard Work Schedules and Involvement in Children’s Education

Parenting in a 24/7 Economy: Mothers’ Non-standard Work Schedules and Involvement in Children’s Education

Parental Nonstandard Work Schedules and Child Development: Evidence from Dual-Earner Families in Hong Kong

The Policy Measures Used by the Hong Kong Government to Respond to the Adult Worker Model and the Male-breadwinner Model

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