2021 (LIS)²ER workshop: “Policies to fight inequality: The case of family policy”

LIS Cross-national Data Center and LISER convened the second international scientific workshop in the realm of the (LIS)²ER initiative.

In this workshop we addressed “The Case of Work-life Reconciliation and Family Policies”, a theme which lies at the intersection of the labour market, families and households and early years of child development. Family policies are crucial in easing the often-competing responsibilities between work and family when young children are present. Acknowledging the diversity of policies and research studying the how, why, and what of these entitlements this workshop will focus on two interrelated family policies: provision of care for young children and parental leave. It discussed inequalities as causes and consequences at three levels: inequalities in access due to eligibility rules, inequalities in use due to (un)affordability of the right, and unintended consequences of the given right. Against this background, this workshop aimed to offer a space to discuss novel insights on inequalities related to work-life reconciliation policies, to present LIS data as source for comparative research, and provide scholars whose work captures inequalities within the scope of work-life reconciliation policies with an opportunity to unite and exchange ideas.

The workshop took place from Thursday November 25th mid-day through Friday November 26th mid-afternoon. It consisted of 8 invited contributions. Thursday evening, a keynote lecture was delivered by Rense Nieuwenhuis (Stockholm University). A policy roundtable, lead by Margaret O’Brian (UCL), took place Friday early afternoon. Please find the detailed program here.

Organising Committee : Petra Sauer (LIS, LISER), Marie Valentova (LISER), Philippe Van Kerm (LISER, University of Luxembourg), and Merve Uzunalioglu (LISER, UCL)

To watch the video recordings of the workshop, please visit this page.

Please find below the list of presentations of the workshop sessions:

• Care policies in local settings: Municipal regulation and provision of care services by Mara Yerkes (Utrecht University)
• Changing attitudes and childcare policy reforms in the Federal States of Germany by Agnes Blome (WZB Berlin)
• Competing powers: what matters for the timing and duration of fathers’ parental leave by Merve Uzunalioglu (LISER, UCL)
• Inequality in childcare use: What do we know and what do we need to know? by Wim Van Lancker (KU Leuven)
• Economic inequality and the family policy research agenda: what role(s) for LIS? by Rense Nieuwenhuis (SOFI, Stockholm University)
• Gendered labour market patterns across Europe: Does family policy mitigate feminisation of outsiders? by Hyojin Seo (KU Leuven)
• Optional familialism in Germany: unintended consequences for social inequalities in work-care arrangements by Pia Schober (University of Tübingen)
• Provision and prices of childcare and its impact on families by Christina Gathmann (LISER)