Active Fathers in the United States: Caught Between De-Gendering Care and Caring Masculinities

The United States occupies a unique position among OECD countries because the US provides little policy support for working parents. Despite the resulting extreme time scarcity, US fathers perform similar amounts of child care as European fathers under more family-friendly policy conditions. Using recent national time use survey data, this paper examines whether time scarcity among American working parents, coupled with limited access to affordable child care and traditional masculine identity ideas, is associated with American fathers’ involvement in the daily care of their young children. Results show that fathers do one third of all care activities, contribute one third of the care time, and perform over one half of the 10 activities analyzed here daily. Multivariate analysis indicates that time scarcity, lack of alternative child care options, and traditional masculine identity affect the degree of fathers’ involvement in daily care activities with their under five year olds. Implications for the development of caring masculinities are discussed.

Arguments on thin ice: on non-medical egg freezing and individualisation arguments

The aim of this article is to provide a systematic reconstruction and critique of what is taken to be a central ethical concern against the use of non-medical egg freezing (NMEF). The concern can be captured in what we can call the individualisation argument. The argument states, very roughly, that women should not use NMEF as it is an individualistic and morally problematic solution to the social problems that women face, for instance, in the labour market. Instead of allowing or expecting women to deal with them on an individual level, we should address them by challenging the patriarchal structures of the labour market—for example, by securing equal pay, or paid maternal leave, or ‘paid paternal [partner] leave and sick leave and affordable child care’. It will be made clear that there are several versions of this argument. The author will try to elaborate this claim, and it will be explained that the differences depend on the way in which bioethicists believe that individuals use of NMEF is morally problematic, compared with the alternative of securing social change for women in, say, the labour market. Finally, a critical discussion of three versions of the individualisation argument will follow, and it will be shown why all versions are on rather thin ice, or in other words, that they are implausible.

29 recommendations to combat social inequalities in health. The Norwegian Council on Social Inequalities in Health

All political parties in Norway agree that social inequalities in health comprise a public health problem and should be reduced. Against this background, the Council on Social Inequalities in Health has taken action to provide specific advice to reduce social health differences. Our recommendations focus on the entire social gradient rather than just poverty and the socially disadvantaged. By proposing action on the social determinants of health such as affordable child-care, education, living environments and income structures, we aim to facilitate a possible re-orientation of policy away from redistribution to universalism. The striking challenges of the causes of health differences are complex, and the 29 recommendations to combat social inequality of health demand cross sectorial actions. The recommendations are listed thematically and have not been prioritized. Some are fundamental and require pronounced changes across sectors, whereas others are minor and sector-specific.

Personal wealth and perceptions of barriers to women’s entrepreneurship in the state of Alabama

Purpose For women entrepreneurs, personal wealth is seen as a promoter, but lack of affordable child care is viewed as an inhibitor. Based on data from 1,284 nascent women entrepreneurs in the state of Alabama, the authors aim to investigate the linkage between personal wealth and barriers to start a business for women entrepreneurs in the state of Alabama. The mediating effect of affordable child care is also examined. Results reveal that lack of personal wealth can thwart business start-ups, and lack of affordable child care mediates this adverse relationship. The authors conclude their study with implications for policy makers and future research. Design/methodology/approach This is a quantitative survey-based study. This is the largest survey ever done in any state in the USA on the subject of nascent women entrepreneurs. The sample size is 1,284 aspiring women entrepreneurs. (Baron and Kenny 1986) method is used for testing mediating effects. Main effects are tested using regression and ANOVA analyses. Findings Results reveal that lack of personal wealth can thwart business start-ups, and lack of affordable child care mediates this adverse relationship. The mediating effect is strong and, thus, becomes a focus for any proposed structural reforms that are suggested in the discussion section of the paper. Research limitations/implications No experimental design. Findings pertain to the state of Alabama and hence generalizability is low. Variables are measured as perceptions of respondents. Practical implications To mitigate the lack of personal wealth, policy makers should increase resource allocations that will increase external funding for women entrepreneurs through such mechanisms as small business administration grants, minority purchase programs, guaranteed loans, government subsidies, angel investments and venture capital, capturing the amount of capital available to start a business (Jennings et al,, 2013). Even infrastructural support such as incubators and university based entrepreneurial programs would reduce the barriers to start a new business. Affordable child care, via its mediating effect, is another issue that needs to be looked into to promote women entrepreneurship in state of Alabama. Less-expensive community-based child-care programs could provide the necessary fillip to encourage women entrepreneurships to take the initial leap into entrepreneurship. Government funded incubators should include onsite child-care facilities to mitigate the concern about affordable child care. Social implications Promoting women entrepreneurship is an integral part of promoting entrepreneurship in the state of Alabama. This study suggests some directions for structural reforms to promote women entrepreneurship in the state of Alabama. Originality/value The largest survey on aspiring women entrepreneurs in any state in the USA. In total, 1,284 women completed responses from the survey. This paper provides empirically rooted suggestions for structural reforms to promote women entrepreneurship in the state of Alabama. This paper corroborates a priori hypotheses drawn from extant literature.

What Motivates Citizens to Volunteer in Schools? Determinants in the Local Context

Volunteers play a vital role in helping local schools accomplish their goals and missions. Yet, little is known about the determinants of volunteering in local schools. This study expects that community factors, citizens’ concerns, and personal characteristics are possible determinants of general and school volunteering. Utilizing a 2007 survey from a local county, this study finds that citizens receiving public assistance or having higher satisfaction with their local community are more likely to volunteer in any type of organizations. Moreover, having children under the age of 18, concerns about the availability of affordable child care, and working in the education sector are positively related to school volunteering. Implications for research and practice are addressed.

Can Canadian Women Have it All? How Limited Access to Affordable Child Care Restricts Freedom and Choice

The objective of this essay is to provide an historical account of the attempts made to implement a universal child care policy in Canada. Since World War II, we have been seeing large numbers of women entering the workforce and have had no centralized child care policy in place. This contributes to role strain on women as there appears to be little choice in work and family life. This paper explores the effort made by the feminist movement and women’s advocates to establish a universal child care system. I hope to achieve a clear understanding that the need for child care remains an equality issue. Throughout this paper, I will shed light on the effects child care has on women, their families, and society. I will also address the current policies in place and what is to come under the new Liberal government.

Widening Access and learner diversity in health and social care:

Summary: The attempt to recruit non-traditional students to health and social work is not just to compensate for the decreased availability of traditional students but because it is socially just. The non-traditional student journey can be lengthy; starting with community-based Widening Access courses then typically on to Access courses in Further Education, before entering Higher Education. One such community based course is described here. Positive evaluation of the courses reflect their local nature, affordable child care and identifiable personal, family and community benefits. Lessons for practice teachers dealing with increased learner diversity are outlined.

Ensuring Quality, Affordable Child Care: Mobilizing for Action

In October 1990, Congress passed legislation authorizing two new major federal programs to subsidize child care for low- and moderate-income families and to improve the quality of care. The provisions were included in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990,1 a multilayered funding and taxing measure enacted by Congress in the waning days of the 101st Congress. The battle to secure federal financial support for affordable, quality child care took nearly 20 years. The new law is significant, not just because it will provide hundreds of millions of federal dollars to help financially strapped families pay for child care, but because it represents an acknowledgment of the need for a federal child care policy. The legislation that ultimately passed, however, reflects a substantial compromise with the Act for Better Child Care (the "ABC bill") as it was originally drafted, particularly with respect to the provisions that address the aspects of child care concerned with quality. (The legislation was originally introduced in the 100th Congress as the Act for Better Child Care of 1987 by Senator Dodd (D-CT) and Rep Dale Kildee (D-MI). It was reintroduced in the 101th Congress (S 5/HR 30) but was folded into the Budget Reconciliation Act as Congress rushed to finish work on the bill and ensure its passage as part of the more comprehensive funding measure.) Proponents of the ABC bill had originally hoped that the legislation would include federal health and safety standards for child care providers. However, the Bush administration opposed federal standards, even provisions that would have required the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to draft model standards that states would then be encouraged to use as guidelines.