The family meal and child well-being – does welfare regimes

matter?

Linda Lane and Margareta Bäck-Wiklund

University of Gothenburg

Department of Social Work

Aim of the article

The aim of this article is to evaluate the implications of workplace factors for dual-earner parents’ ability to fulfill children’s need of well-being. Research questions:

Does time-based work factors, such as work hours, commute time etc. compete with child well-being? What role does flexible work arrangements and supervisor/colleague support play in helping dual-earner parents cope with the competing demands of work and child well-being?

Child well-being

• We identify well-being as a multidimensional concept that incorporates psychological, physical and social dimensions that influence the quality of life.

• As a measure of child well-being, we use the family meal, a ritual that captures the multidimensionality of the well-being concept.

Data

• The sample studied included 2342 married or cohabitating employees in four service sectors, retail, hospital, IT/telecom and banking, with an employed partner and with children living in their households in 7 European countries, Sweden, the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, Hungary and Bulgaria.

• The survey data was collected within the Quality of Life in a Changing Europe project in 2007

Cross-country differences in work demand

variables by gender and age Age Mean

work hours Mean commute time in minutes per day

Percent performing overtime

Percent working shifts

Percent eating a family meal 3 or more times per week

Bulgaria Women 40 44 68 32 19 79

Men 37 45 62 27 14 79

Germany Women 42 34 56 16 20 71

Men 41 42 76 13 14 74

Hungary Women 39 45 94 32 4 75

Men 37 46 80 33 11 76

Netherlands Women 39 29 68 6 12 83

Men 43 40 86 19 8 80

Portugal Women 37 44 74 32 7 68

Men 38 46 70 40 14 75

Sweden Women 44 36 64 11 5 83

Men 43 41 56 30 3 85

UK Women 44 35 64 19 9 65 Men 49 41 70 25 19 65

Family meal frequency in percent by country

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Sweden UK Netherlands Germany Portugal Hungary Bulgaria

1-2 times per week 3-4 times per week Always (everyday)

Institutional context for integrating work and family life

Welfare regime

Countries Employment Childcare Rank in material wellbeing

Expected rank in quality of life

Rank in child wellbeing

Social-democratic

Sweden high state support for equal full-time participation of both partners

extensive state support for the involvement of both partners

3 1 1

Netherlands ‘flexicurity’ (support for both full-time and part-time jobs) with women in part-time work

medium public support, high role of the family

1 3 2 Corporatist

Germany high social support for full-time jobs, encouragement for flexibility

medium public support, high role of the family

5 4 5

Liberal UK medium support for full time jobs, high employers’ led flexibility

low public support, medium support from the employer

2 5 7

Sub-protective

Portugal low state support, low work flexibility

low state support, high family support

6 6 6

Hungary low state support, low work flexibility

medium state support, high family support

7 7 4 Post-socialist

Bulgaria low state support, low flexibility

medium state support, high family support

8 8 3