The essay examines the relations between families and welfare, with particular reference to policies for reconciling work and family life and for looking after minors. By examining legislation and the most recent reforms on the subject, it analyses the developments in five European countries: Germany and France for the Continental Europe, Sweden for the Scandinavian countries, the Uk for the Anglosaxon Europe, and Italy for the Mediterranean cluster. The analysis focuses on innovative elements that tend to delineate a different system of social policies that has not yet fully established itself, but that can already give us a glimpse of some future developments that could lead to new ways of balancing family care, involvement in the jobs market and public-sector functions in a framework where the family and the welfare system will complement each other more and more. This general trend towards a multiplicity of supply channels means there will be a greater mixture of services and monetary and juridical recognition of caregiving, but the outcomes of the reforms still vary considerably from one country to another.only subscribers can see the full article

The paper examines the main effects of the difficulties of reconciling life and work times in Italy. It then goes on to analyse a particular aspect of this difficulty, namely the incapacity of satisfying desired fertility plans. Analysing data from an inquiry on living conditions of families from a well off Italian province, there is empirical evidence of the positive effect of the type of work performed by the woman on the gap between children desired and effective. Some policy considerations are given in the conclusion.only subscribers can see the full article

The paper analyses the quality of work in Italy in relation to the temporal dimension from the results of an Isfol inquiry on the matter. With reference to the satisfaction expressed by the workers on quality perceived in the workplace, the characteristics of working time (duration, regularity, atypical work hours, etc.) are analysed in relation to type of employment (temporary versus permanent, subordinate versus self-employment) and other aspects of occupation. Furthermore, the relationship between working time and other existential aspects (along with the related problems and perception of conciliation) in relation to the various living conditions and use of free time (family relations, social commitments, leisure activities and so on) is examined.only subscribers can see the full article