Demographic and societal changes are strongly affecting the contexts of childhood and the experience of being children. At the same time, across social groups and across societies, diversities and inequalities in childhood are taking new forms. In the developed world, in particular, children their number, their welfare, their education, the division of power and responsibilities over them among the different social actors have entered the public agenda, at the national and supranational level. Public concern over issues such as fertility rates, mothers working, early childhood education and care as well as solemn international declarations of children's rights are examples of the ongoing politicization of childhood.Drawing both on micro and macro, national and comparative studies, this volume of "Comparative Social Research" traces some of the trends and analyzes in comparative perspective how they affect images and practices of childhood and transforms responsibilities for children. The volume's focus is mainly on children in the developed countries, but attention is also paid to transnational diversities and to the impact of globalisation through the experiences of migrant children and of children living through the processes of modernization in the developing world.
Author(s): Arnlaug Leira, Chiara Saraceno
Edition: 1
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Year: 2008
Language: English
Pages: 424
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List of contributors......Page 5
Editorial Board......Page 7
Introduction......Page 8
Falling fertility and population ageing: the few children of ageing societies......Page 11
Mothers’ labour force participation and the decline of the male-breadwinner family......Page 14
Marital/partnership instability: dissolution of family solidarity towards children?......Page 17
Social inequality: economic and cultural poverty......Page 18
Immigration and multi-ethnicity......Page 20
The child ‘‘goes public’’: public regulation of childcare in the early childhood years......Page 21
Part I: Policies of Children and Families......Page 24
Part II: Children in an Ageing Society......Page 25
Part III: Diversities of Childhood......Page 26
Part IV: Changing Discourses on Childhood......Page 28
References......Page 29
Introduction......Page 32
Childcare statistics and the EU employment strategy......Page 34
Taking into account leave facilities......Page 36
Availability of childcare services......Page 39
Childcare Services for the 0-2 Age Group......Page 40
Childcare Services for Children from 3 to Compulsory School Age......Page 43
European policy: national effects?......Page 44
Conclusions......Page 47
References......Page 48
Appendix......Page 50
Policy packages for families with children in 11 European countries: Multiple approaches......Page 59
Background and problems......Page 60
Family-targeted protection spending: Distinct divergences and variations between countries......Page 63
The Nordic Countries: Priority Given to Public Provision of Services......Page 65
UK, Ireland and the Netherlands: The Lowest Share of GDP Devoted to Cash Benefits for Parental Leave......Page 67
Comparison of family packages using the model family method......Page 68
Family Income: A Minor or Non-Existent Role in Affecting the Level of Family Benefits......Page 70
The Nordic Countries: The Presence of Children Plays No Role in How Income Tax is Calculated......Page 72
The Family Package: Austria in a Class of Its Own......Page 73
The Family Package by Number of Children: A Means of Horizontal Redistribution......Page 74
The Effect of Revenue on Levels of Benefits: A Sharp Emphasis on Vertical Redistribution in the UK......Page 75
Discussions and conclusions......Page 77
Notes......Page 80
References......Page 81
Introduction......Page 83
Importance of Rhetorical Action for Policy Change......Page 84
Family Discourses: Powering or Puzzling?......Page 87
’Children’ and ’families’ in dutch and german policy discourses3......Page 91
Legislation and Family Definitions......Page 92
Arguing for Pro-Natalism?......Page 94
Child ’Poverty’ as Family Failure, Children as Opportunity Costs: The Issue of Money......Page 98
Precautionary Measures - Teaching and Controlling Parents......Page 104
Taking stock: ’other directed’ adulthood and family-related social policy......Page 106
References......Page 110
Background: A demographic revolution......Page 115
Vertical views: Age and generation......Page 116
Vertical Structures......Page 118
Effects of Co-Longevity......Page 119
Childhood in the Institutionalised Life Course......Page 120
Age Segregation: Institutional, Spatial and Cultural......Page 121
Beyond Age Segregation: Privatisation......Page 122
Cultural Segregation......Page 124
Segregation and the Book-End Generations......Page 125
Age and Socialisation......Page 126
Beyond Family Generations......Page 128
Towards a society for all ages: Research and policy challenges......Page 129
References......Page 131
Grandchildhood in Germany and Italy: An exploration......Page 135
The changing context of intergenerational relationships......Page 137
Exchange patterns between grandparents and grandchildren......Page 141
Italy and Germany: two partially different contexts for the development of grandchild - grandparent relationships......Page 144
Data and Methods......Page 147
Contacts between Grandchildren and Grandparents......Page 149
Being Cared for......Page 153
Activities within Care and Beyond Care......Page 157
Conclusion......Page 159
Notes......Page 160
References......Page 162
Children’s welfare in ageing Europe: generations apart?......Page 166
Scientific approach......Page 167
Ageing societies: setting the scene......Page 168
Ageing societies and childhood poverty......Page 173
Children’s dependence on two parental incomes......Page 177
Generational struggle for welfare resources?......Page 181
Spatial segregation, domestication and virtual childhood......Page 182
Children’s welfare and ageing societies......Page 185
Notes......Page 187
References......Page 188
Other references......Page 189
Introduction......Page 191
The Dutch context......Page 193
Hypotheses......Page 198
Data and Variables......Page 202
Independent Variables......Page 203
Modelling the Parent’s Employment Decision......Page 206
Heterogeneous Patterns of Parental Paid Work Arrangements and Immigration......Page 209
At Pregnancy with the First Child......Page 215
When the Child is 3-5 Months Old......Page 220
Conclusions......Page 224
Notes......Page 227
References......Page 232
Appendix. Nested logit model......Page 235
Introduction......Page 237
The research......Page 242
The reversal of roles......Page 244
Children as mediators......Page 250
Hybrid identities......Page 253
Using media as tools of inclusion and empowerment......Page 257
Concluding remarks......Page 259
References......Page 261
Introduction......Page 263
Diversity and the Social Construction of Childhood......Page 266
Variation across Space and Time......Page 267
Diversity within Societies......Page 268
Social Actors with Evolving Capacities......Page 269
Power and Discrimination......Page 270
Emerging Diversities......Page 271
Implications for Protection......Page 272
Adult Understandings: From Research to Practice......Page 273
Moving Forward in Practice......Page 274
Self-Attitude/Understanding Self......Page 275
Categories of Children and Vulnerability......Page 276
Children’s Views......Page 278
Differences between Adults and Children......Page 280
Benefits for Adults and Children......Page 282
Practice Developments and Issues......Page 284
Conclusion......Page 285
References......Page 288
Methodological premise and research approach......Page 291
Time and timetables......Page 292
Leisure time......Page 295
Television......Page 298
Play......Page 301
Sport......Page 302
Relations with peers and adults, with spaces and places......Page 303
One or multiple childhoods?......Page 309
Conclusions......Page 315
Notes......Page 317
References......Page 321
Introduction......Page 323
Variability in young people’s life-course transitions......Page 325
Risky Business......Page 327
Healthy Youth Survey......Page 330
Parental Education......Page 331
Parents/Guardians’ Employment......Page 332
Childhood Family Stability and Parental Support......Page 333
Residency Patterns......Page 338
School Attendance......Page 340
Financial Independence......Page 342
Intimate Partnerships......Page 344
Substance Use......Page 345
Discussion......Page 346
Concluding remarks......Page 348
References......Page 349
Introduction......Page 352
New social risks and paradigm change......Page 353
The LEGOTM paradigm......Page 356
Learning as the Route to Security......Page 357
Orientation to the Future......Page 361
Benefits for Society as a Whole......Page 363
Policy change and the politicisation of childhood......Page 364
Concluding remarks......Page 369
Notes......Page 370
References......Page 373
Introduction......Page 377
The emergence of the new welfare policy paradigm......Page 378
Model 1: promoting profitable investment......Page 379
Only ’Becomings’?......Page 381
Citizen-Workers of the Future?......Page 383
Less Profitable Investments?......Page 385
Irresponsible Parents?......Page 386
Model 2: promoting good childhood......Page 387
Well-Being......Page 388
Citizenship......Page 393
Conclusion......Page 396
Notes......Page 397
References......Page 398
