Working and forming a family is problematic for the Spanish, particularly for the «young adult» population between the ages of 20 and 29. It has become more difficult in recent years for this cohort to achieve emancipation and combine the two factors, due to economic instability, job uncertainty and the deficit of effective social policies in favour of new family units. In this scenario the strategies adopted to reconcile professional duties with the upbringing of children reproduce existing gender differences. This dynamic in turn reinforces familism as a socio-cultural and institutional structure based on women’s limited participation in the labour market and their greater role in the household and in reproduction. only subscribers can see the full article

Prior to the crisis of the late 1990s, East Asia’s welfare states were premised on two sets of ideas: «welfare developmentalism» according to which social policy is viewed principally as an instrument for economic growth, and Confucian familism, which saw the family as the main site of welfare provision. The weaknesses of this approach were painfully exposed during the economic crisis of the late 1990s. In response, many East Asian countries have strengthened and expanded their welfare provisions. This paper explores the contrasting trajectories of welfare development across E. Asia, highlighting ways in which both the economic reform context and the political dynamics of reform are shaping welfare state outcomes. only subscribers can see the full article