Catherine Hakim - Models of the Family in Modern Societies: Ideals and Realities

MODELS OF THE FAMILY IN MODERN SOCIETIES

This book reports on two comparative nationally representative surveys of men and women in Britain and Spain, two countries chosen to illustrate the diversity of modern European societies. The British survey was funded within the ESRC Future of Work Research Programme and was carried out by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Catherine Hakim presents a study of ideal models of the family and family roles, work orientations, patriarchal values, and lifestyle preferences, showing how these impact on womens marital histories, fertility, employment patterns, occupational segregation, and labour mobility, but not on mens labour market participation. Lifestyle preferences and work orientations have a strong impact on womens activities, and especially on married womens employment choices, but patriarchal values (which are most commonly studied by social attitude surveys) have virtually no impact on behaviour. The analyses demonstrate that political and religious values have virtually no connection with orientations to employment and family roles. The book also covers educational homogamy, housing classes and contrasts between ethnic minority groups in core values and labour market participation.

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Models of the Family in Modern Societies

Ideals and Realities

CATHERINE HAKIM

London School of Economics

First published 2003 by Ashgate Publishing

Paperback edition 2004

Reissued 2018 by Routledge

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Copyright Catherine Hakim 2003

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A Library of Congress record exists under LC control number: 2002041750

ISBN 13: 978-1-138-71417-5 (hbk)

ISBN 13: 978-1-315-19793-7 (ebk)

There is no more pressing research and public policy issue in the early years of the twenty-first century than that of the future organization of work and family life. Nevertheless, much contemporary analysis is rooted in established prejudices and divorced from sound empirical data. Dr Hakims important new study, part of the Economic and Social Research Councils Future of Work Programme, will help advance contemporary analysis and debate and shed light on some of the key policy issues of the moment.

Offering a fresh account of orientations to employment and family roles, her study draws upon nationally representative surveys of men and women in Britain and Spain. It advances a powerful case that lifestyle preferences between paid work and family work are neither homogeneous nor bounded by traditional gender roles. Contemporary changes in the labour market in Western Europe, particularly the rates and forms of womens participation in paid employment, are traced to the choices that women and men make with regard to the balance between paid work and family life. Challenging both established academic positions and the direction of many contemporary public policy initiatives, Dr Hakims book is essential reading for anyone with a stake in shaping the future of work.

Peter Nolan
Director, ESRC Future of Work Programme

The British survey was funded by a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council, as part of the ESRC Future of Work Research Programme 1998-2003. The survey was carried out by the Office of National Statistics in London, and I am indebted to Olwen Rowlands for her help in making it a success. The Spanish survey was generously carried out for me by Anlysis Sociolgicos Econmicos y Polticos (ASEP), and I am indebted to Professor Dr Juan Dez Nicols for his advice and guidance on making the survey a success.

The following appear in this book by permission:

, by permission of Oxford University Press.

, by permission of Oxford University Press.

, by permission of Oxford University Press.

reprinted from Murphy and Sullivan, Housing Tenure and Fertility in Post-War Britain, 1983, by permission of Professor M. Murphy.

Abbreviations used in tables