Welfare arrangements, safety nets and familial support for the elderly in Portugal

This thesis analyses the welfare arrangements of the Portuguese elderly from an historical and a sociological perspective. Two goals form the focus of the thesis. First, it attempts to enrich the discussion on familialism as a model of welfare provision in old age in Portugal. Starting with the historical analysis of the process of consolidation of a model of welfare provision that is based on a set of assumptions about the existence of intergenerational ties and kin solidarity throughout the life course, the thesis moves on to the sociological analysis of family dynamics and normative propositions related to welfare arrangements in old age. The broad question underlying the analysis is to know how resilient and operative is familialism as a logics of welfare provision for the Portuguese elderly. The thesis shows that the resilience of familialism in the lives of the elderly is related to a complex set of social, economic and normative intricacies that still provide for a support network in old age but that show signs of being under accelerated erosion. Second, the thesis aims to make a contribution to the analysis of welfare states and social policies in familialist countries by demonstrating the explanatory power of family arrangements for understanding welfare arrangements in old age. This involves introducing in the analysis of welfare arrangements a focus on intergenerational and kin relationships, demonstrating how the familialist model is intertwined with a complex network of exchanges of support that goes beyond the needs of the elderly and that is in fact structured around the functional roles of each member of the household and/or family for the welfare of the whole. The thesis draws on review of literature and secondary data analysis. The data used came from three main sources: the European Community Household Panel (1998), the Portuguese Family Budget Survey (2000) and the Eurobarometer Survey Series (1992, 1995 and 1998-99). The analysis of data has privileged a descriptive approach, using some multivariate analysis to make meaningful synthesis. It combines crossnational comparative analysis with a case-study focus. The goal of the empirical analysis was to come up with a holistic synthesis of welfare arrangements of the Portuguese elderly linking them to three main dimensions: institutional, familial and normative

Housing policy and outcomes in Southern and Southeastern Europe Bulgaria and Greece compared

This PhD comparatively analyzes and explains the institutional structure, functioning and transformational dynamics of the Bulgarian and Greek housing systems, also considering the wider geopolitical context. Despite their historically differentiated backgrounds, the two countries are selected due to several structural similarities in their housing systems. Likewise, neither is easy to fit into the socialist and southern European groupings, and both are experiencing radical transformational pressures and severe systemic shocks as a result of socio-political and financial turbulences. Despite the academic interest, housing research in both countries has been relatively 'introverted', mainly confined to describing sociopolitical ‘idiosyncrasies’ and applying 'typologies'. An elaborate comparative study of the two countries is practically inexistent, while the increasing transformational dynamics in the Bulgarian and Greek housing systems remain insufficiently discussed. Thus, the available literature lacks outreaching comparative perspective and has trouble being incorporated in wider studies. By employing an institutionally embedded mixed-methods approach the research assesses similarities whilst respecting differences, avoiding dogmatic adherence to typologies. Primary data was collected through qualitative in-depth interviews with housing experts and households in Bulgaria and Greece. The EU-SILC and national statistical agencies databases have been the main source of secondary quantitative data. Officially published reports and newspaper articles provided complementary secondary qualitative and quantitative data of relevance. The thesis shows that the Bulgarian and Greek housing systems are since circa the 1990s gradually moving away from de-commodified and towards pre-commodified forms. Established institutional interfaces are now being challenged, stressed under the weight of strong socio-financial restructuring forces and persisting societal housing precepts. Comparing the two countries with each other and with their wider groupings, allows for improved inclusion in southeastern European housing systems. Consequently, the latter can be better incorporated in broader comparative housing studies. This research overall contributes to the wider ongoing discussion about housing system transformation in southeastern European countries under transition

Food, housing, family and welfare regimes: the case of cyprus

This thesis is a PhD by publication. It consists of an introductory chapter which sets the research in the context of the welfare regime literature. The literatures on household expenditure, food, housing and welfare regimes of relevance to the published papers are reviewed in the second chapter. This is followed by three published papers and a concluding chapter that provides a thematic integration. The first of the published articles, referred to as Paper One is “Household Size, Income and Expenditure on Food: The Case of Cyprus”, published in the Journal of Socio-Economics. This paper is based on an analysis of data on food from the author’s survey of Cypriot households. It addresses aspects of the Deaton-Paxson Paradox and provides evidence on expenditure on food and clothing in Cyprus that suggests an alternative perspective. It also raises additional questions that are addressed in Paper Three. “Home Ownership, Family and the Gift Effect: The Case of Cyprus”, is Paper Two, published in the Journal of Housing and the Built Environment. It is a paper on housing in Cyprus, also based on the author’s survey of household expenditure, and setting the analysis in the context of the literature on welfare regimes. This paper shows the importance of family in the provision of housing in Cyprus. The third of the articles, “Welfare Regime and Inter-Household Welfare Provision: The Case of Cyprus” is published in the Journal of European Social Policy. This paper is based on the author’s in-depth interviews with nine Cypriot households. It resolves many of the issues raised, and unable to be conclusively addressed, in Paper One. In essence it shows the importance of the extended, multi-household family in the preparation and consumption of food in Cyprus. The final chapter, providing a thematic integration, uses the welfare regime literature to show that Cyprus is in a variety of ways similar to other Southern European/Mediterranean countries. It draws together the findings of the three published papers to show the importance of family in the provision of food and housing in Cyprus, and in this context the extent to which family provision of food and housing constitutes a significant de-commodification. By this is meant the reduction of dependence of households on the market for significant elements of food consumption and housing acquisition; unlike in Esping-Andersen’s (1997) use of the concept of de-commodification, this is shown not to be the consequence of social policy

The End of Welfare as We Know It? Continuity and Change in Western Welfare State Settings and Practices

During the last 30 years, the governments of many Western countries have repeatedly called for an end to welfare. While the virtue of this goal and the means of achieving it continue to be debated in politics, much of contemporary social science research assumes that, in fact, the end of the welfare state has already occurred. The authors of this volume hope to contribute to a clearer understanding of how, where and to what extent welfare state settings really have changed since the 1980s. Their work examines questions of change and continuity while exploring various welfare practices in the Western world

The End of Welfare as We Know It?

During the last 30 years, the governments of many Western countries have repeatedly called for an end to welfare. While the virtue of this goal and the means of achieving it continue to be debated in politics, much of contemporary social science research assumes that, in fact, the end of the welfare state has already occurred. The authors of this volume hope to contribute to a clearer understanding of how, where and to what extent welfare state settings really have changed since the 1980s. Their work examines questions of change and continuity while exploring various welfare practices in the Western world

Recent evolutions of gender, state feminism and care models in Latin America and Europe

Production of INCASI Project H2020-MSCA-RISE-2015 GA 691004This chapter presents and characterises the way in which, in the twenty-first century, after years of feminist struggles inside and outside of institutions, gender relations are organised in the different countries of the INCASI project (on the European side, Spain, Italy, Finland, France and the United Kingdom, on the side of the South American Southern Cone, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay). It pays special attention to the implementation of feminist issues on political agendas, and in particular the assignment of women to unpaid care work-an aspect of the power continuum that we look to relate to other aspects. Gradually and for almost a century all countries in both continents have granted women the status of subjects, citizens and employees. However, the conditions, challenges and timelines of this process differ considerably from one continent to another, so they need to be addressed separately. The neoliberal era did not have the same impact in Europe as it did in South America (nor was it exactly the same between particular European countries or among South American ones)

Carers and careers:Grandparental care investment and its labour market consequences in Europe

Carers and Careers Grandparental care investment and its labour market consequences in Europe Francesca Zanasi Lay Summary As life expectancy increases, grandparents spend a longer part of their lifetime with grandchildren, which opens opportunities for sharing time, resources, and affection. The time grandparents spend with grandchildren has several implications, which were the focal point of the present dissertation. Grandparents differently invest in their grandchildren, according to their socio-economic status: they are active players in the intergenerational transmission of advantages. At the same time, they bear the consequences of their new role, as grandmotherhood influences labour market participation. The extent to which grandmothers reshape their work commitment is determined, on the one hand, by the previous life course, and on the other hand, by the institutional context in which the decisions take place. More specifically, the central findings emerging from the four empirical chapters comprising the present dissertation can be summarized as follows. In Chapter II, I investigate the likelihood of providing care by grandmothers according to their educational level. Empirical results point toward an educational gradient in grandparental childcare: highly educated grandmothers are more likely to provide grandchildren with care than primary educated grandmothers. Most interestingly, they provide more childcare even when their daughters are not in employment, hence less in need of informal support. Furthermore, highly educated grandparents are more likely to engage in activities related to interactive and educational care, for reasons related to the development of grandchildren. The findings could suggest that mechanism of cultural investment could be at work even in the extended family. In Chapter III, I argue that labour supply of grandmothers is jointly determined by the need of support by the younger generation, and the availability of grandmothers themselves as care providers. I found some evidence that grandmotherhood has a negative effect on employment across European countries, although differences exist according to the institutional context: grandmothers are less likely to be employed where there are fewer childcare services for children, where early retirement options are available, and the pension system more generous. In Chapter IV, I concentrate on England to study the relation between the birth of the first grandchild and the probability of labour market withdrawal for mid-life women, with attention paid to differences in terms of work history and economic household situation. Results show that the probability of labour market withdrawal increases after the birth of the first grandchild. Women who had continuous working careers are more likely to withdraw from the labour market after the birth of the first grandchild compared to women with non-continuous careers. The same holds for women living in wealthy households. The explanation probably lies in the lower opportunity cost these women encounter in withdrawing from the labour market. Finally, in Chapter V, I investigated the consequences of grandmotherhood on retirement for Italian mid-life women, accounting for differences in terms of work history, i.e. number of years worked and social class. Results show that there is only a weak relation between the birth of the first grandchild and retirement for Italian grandmothers, and no differences in term of work history. This result could originate from two parallel processes. On the one hand, mid-life women seem to retire before becoming grandmothers in Italy. This could be due to the interplay of the postponement of fertility and availability of early retirement options: women became grandmothers late in life, and they have the possibility to retire early. On the other hand, Italy has an extremely low female labour force participation rate, and many young mothers are not employed due to the difficulty to reconcile work and family; in other words, grandparental childcare might not be needed by many Italian young mothers. Overall, the most important take-home message of the present dissertation is that grandparenthood and its consequences are a multifaceted phenomenon, which must be studied in a multi-generational framework and by considering demographic, social, and institutional trends of current European societies

The Palgrave Handbook of Family Policy

This open access handbook provides a multilevel view on family policies, combining insights on family policy outcomes at different levels of policymaking: supra-national organizations, national states, sub-national or regional levels, and finally smaller organizations and employers. At each of these levels, a multidisciplinary group of expert scholars assess policies and their implementation, such as child income support, childcare services, parental leave, and leave to provide care to frail and elderly family members. The chapters evaluate their impact in improving children’s development and equal opportunities, promoting gender equality, regulating fertility, productivity and economic inequality, and take an intersectional perspective related to gender, class, and family diversity. The editors conclude by presenting a new research agenda based on five major challenges pertaining to the levels of policy implementation (in particular globalization and decentralization), austerity and marketization, inequality, changing family relations, and welfare states adapting to women’s empowered roles

Migration to and from Welfare States

This open access book explores the role of family, public, market and third sector welfare provision for individual and households’ decisions regarding geographical mobility. It challenges the state-centred approach in research on welfare and migration by emphasising migrants’ own reflections and experiences. It asks whether and in which ways different welfare concerns are part of migrants’ decisions regarding (or aspirations for) mobility. Employing a transnational and a translocal perspective, the book addresses different forms of geographical mobility, such as immigration, emigration, and re-migration, circular and return migration. By bringing in empirical findings from across a variety of Western and non-Western contexts, the book challenges the Eurocentric focus in current debates and contributes to a more nuanced and more integrated global account of the welfare-migration nexus

A long goodbye to Bismarck? The politics of welfare reform in Continental Europe

This book provides an extensive and comparative account of all welfare reforms that occurred during the last three decades in Continental European countries. It reveals unexpected important structural reforms, to be understood as the culmination of a long reform trajectory, analyzed in detail with the tools of comparative historical institutionalism. With these reforms, Bismarckian welfare systems have lost their encompassing capacities, have partially turned to employment-friendliness and weakened the strongest elements of their male breadwinner bias. "This volume is the definitive work on the politics of reform in Bismarckian welfare regimes. It is essential reading for any scholar interested in welfare reform - or indeed, in institutional and policy change more generally." (Kathleen Thelen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology ) "The contributors to the volume are all recognized experts on their field and provide strictly comparable analyses in their chapters, making this volume a gold mine for comparative welfare state scholars. Palier's volume is certain to be a benchmark study for the foreseeable future." (John D. Stephens, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) "This volume, representing the best available scholarship in comparative socio-economic research, provides important and highly policy-relevant insights. A must-read." (Fritz Scharpf, Max Planck Institute for the Studies of Societies