Gender use of time

European Commission Directorate-General For Employment Social Affairs And Inclusion

Description

Three European studies
Employment policy
Social policy

Informations

• Publié par: EUROPEAN-COMMISSION-DIRECTORATE-GENERAL-FOR-EMPLOYMENT_SOCIAL-AFFAIRS-AND-INCLUS
• Nombre de lectures: 36
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Gender use of time
Three European studies
Employment & social affairs Gender use of time
Three European studies
Employment Sc social affairs
Equality between women and men
European Commission
Directorate-General for Employment and Social Affairs
Unit D.5
Manuscript completed in 1998 These studies were financed and prepared for the use of the European Commission's Directorate-
General for Employment and Social Affairs. It does not necessarily represent thes official
position.
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Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2000
ISBN 92-828-8727-8
© European Communities, 2000
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
Printed in Belgium
PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER FOREWORD
The distribution of working, care and leisure time between women and men reveals the gendered
structure of our societies and the differences in the organisation of everyday lives of women and men.
Studies on this issue provide useful information for policy making in terms of work organisation, the
fight against unemployment, how paid and unpaid work is shared in different societies, social security
systems and the promotion of gender equality. This publication gathers together the summaries of
three studies undertaken in the framework of the Medium-term Community Action Programme on
Equal Opportunities for women and men (1996-2000). All three studies have been realised by
transnational groups of researchers who have completed national reports on their field studies. The
studies also make a valuable contribution to the wider debate on modernising work organisation,
launched by the Commission's Green Paper "Partnership for a new organisation of work".
The first study "Flexible working and the reconciliation of work and family life - or a new form of
precariousness", co-ordinated by Diane Perrons (London School of Economics), examines flexible
working as a means of reconciliation of work and family life as far as women are concerned. It
concludes with the advantages and disadvantages of flexibility for women, noting however that it can
result in women remaining dependent on their partners or the state.
The second study "Reorganisation of working time... Equal opportunities for men and women... Job
creation... how are they linked?", co-ordinated by Annie Junter and Nicole Malpas (Engender),
examines the link between gender equality, time reduction and job creation in the promotion of human
potential and better organisation of working time. It includes an assessment of positive examples of
companies using innovative time arrangements to create employment and increase economic
efficiency.
The third study "The future of work in Europe", co-ordinated by Maria-Angeles Duran (Consejo
Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas), examines gendered patterns of time distribution and their
impact on demographic evolution and the labour market in Europe. It concludes by proposing a set of
policy measures promoting a new work culture with a better balance between paid and unpaid work
for women and men.
Full versions of the studies are available by the Equal Opportunities Unit (DG EMPL) by fax: (32-2-
296.35.62) or e-mail ([e-mail]).
Odile QUINTIN
Acting Deputy Director-General DG EMPL
European Commission TABLE OF CONTENTS
Study 1 : Flexible working and the reconciliation of work and family life - or a
new form of precariousness 1
Study 2 : Reorganisation of working time... Equal opportunities for men and
women... Job creation... How are they linked? 45
Study 3 : The future of work in Europe: gendered patterns of time use 77 Flexible working and the reconciliation of work and
family life - or a new form of precariousness Authors: Diane Perrons (London School of Economics, UK) based on contributions from
Jeanne Fagnani, Michelle Descolonges and A.M. McGauran (CNAF, France), Ingrid
Kurz-Scherf and Alexandra Scheele (Sozialwissenschaftliches Forschungszentrum
Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany), Nota Kyriazis (Panteion University, Greece), Maria
Dolores Garcia-Ramon and Anna Ortiz, (Autonomous, Barcelona, Spain),
Lena Gonas and Katalin Bellaagh (National Institute for Working Life, Sweden) and
Jennifer Hurstfield (1RS Research, UK).
Acknowledgements
Many people have contributed to this report. I would like to thank the contributors, listed above, the
companies and the employees for their willingness to participate in the project and for their time and
thoughts. I would especially like to thank Sue Morgan and Catherine Gorham, for their secretarial
work, and Maria Stratigaki, at DGV, for her support throughout the project.
Diane Perrons - February 1998