Families and Family Policies in Europe

The family is currently a controversial topic both within the UK and Europe. While demographic trends seem to suggest that family structures and attitudes within the European Union are converging and that member states are facing similar social problems, their policy responses are very different. This book examines the differences between these national responses and that of the EU as contained in the social chapter. It analyses the key concepts underlying the formulation of family policy and illustrates it with the latest data much of it hitherto unpublished. Pt. 1. Constructing And Deconstructing The Family. 1. Statistical Definitions Of The Family. 2. Institutional Definitions Of The Family. 3. Public Policy Definitions Of The Family. 4. Sociological Definitions Of The Family -- Pt. 2. The Family-employment Relationship. 5. Conceptualising Women's And Mothers' Employment. 6. The Relationship Between Women's Paid And Unpaid Work. 7. Policies For Women And Mothers As Paid Workers -- Pt. 3. From Social Policies To Family Policies. 8. Family Policy Making In Europe. 9. The Family Impact Of Social Policies. 10. Integrating European Families And Family Policies. Linda Hantrais And Marie-thérèse Letablier. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Explores how family structures, employment relationship and family policy are conceptualised in individual EC member states. Draws upon material from ESRC, CNAF (Paris) and the European Commission DGV.