Celebration of Scholars
The Welfare State as a Means for Gender Equality
Name:
Samantha Meszaros
Major: History and Political Science
Hometown: Crystal Lake, IL
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Senior thesis
Abstract
Today’s women are encouraged to “have it all” meaning a successful career and an active family life. However, many women find that obtaining this lifestyle and maintaining a healthy balance is unattainable. This thesis largely focuses on working mothers of young children in Scandinavian countries and the effects of the Welfare State policies on women’s lives. The evidence used to explore the Welfare State gender policies and its effects is literature and theories of the daily “shifts” that women are responsible for. Furthermore, it will examine Welfare State policies of maternity and family leave and state-sponsored childcare. Finally, theories of occupational discrimination, critical theory of public policy, and feminist theory will be used to explain the outcomes of the policies. This research demonstrates that women face difficulties balancing work and family and these difficulties prevent them from gaining equality within the workforce. Ultimately, these difficulties resulted in the creation of policies, such as maternity and family leave and state-sponsored childcare. Analysis of these policies suggest that while women do become more active in the paid workforce, the inequalities that they face may be furthered by the same policies meant to help them. Thus, while the Scandinavian Model does slightly improve the daily task of balancing work and family that women face, it lacks the cultural shift that is necessary to challenge the traditional conception of gender.Submit date: March 6, 2015, 12:46 p.m.