Mothers, Families or Children? Family Policy in Poland, Hungary, and Romania, 1945-2020 (Russian and East European Studies)

"Mothers, Families, or Children? is the first comparative-historical study of family policies in Poland, Hungary, and Romania from 1945 until the eve of the global pandemic in 2020. The book highlights the emergence, consolidation, and perseverance of three types of family policies based on "mother-orientation" in Poland, "family orientation" in Hungary, and "child-orientation" in Romania. It uses a new theoretical framework to identify core and contingent clusters of benefits and services in each country and trace their development across time and under different political regimes, before and after 1989. It also examines and compares policy continuity and change with special attention to institutions, ideas, and actors involved in decision making and reform. As family policies continue to evolve in the era of European Union membership and new governmental and societal actors emerge, this study reveals mechanisms that help preserve core family policy clusters while allowing reform in contingent ones in each country"-- Provided by publisher Cover Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: Family Policy Development in Central and Eastern Europe since 1945 PART I. Family Policy Development in Poland, Hungary, and Romania from 1945 until the EU Accession in the Early 2000s 1. Comparative Historical Analysis of Family Policies in Central and Eastern Europe under Communist Rule and Beyond 2. The Origins and Consolidation of Mother- Oriented Family Policy in Poland, 1945–Early 2000s 3. The Origins and Consolidation of Family- Oriented Policy in Hungary, 1945–Early 2000s 4. The Origins and Consolidation of Child- Oriented Family Policy in Romania, 1945–Early 2000s PART II∙ Family Policy Reforms in Central and Eastern Europe in the Era of European Integration, Early 2000s–2020 5. Family Policy Reforms in Central and EasternEurope during the Era of European Integration 6. The Reconstruction of Mother-Oriented Family Policy in Poland since the Early 2000s 7. The Reinvention of Family- Oriented Policy in Hungary since the Early 2000s 8. The Evolution of Child- Oriented Family Policy in Romania since the Early 2000s Conclusion. Understanding the Historical Trajectories of Family Policies in Eastern and Western Europe since 1945 List of Interviews and Statistical Data Sources Notes Bibliography Index