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Comparative gender inequality
Week 20
Comparative Sociology
Recap
• Health and welfare policies are related to forms of capitalism and national culture
• Growing demand on healthcare due to the ageing population in the west
• Considered the different ways of thinking about lone motherhood
Outline
• Design of health and welfare systems often perpetuates gender inequality
• Gender inequality and child poverty
• Women as unpaid health workers
Deserving and Undeserving Poor
• From start of welfare this division has been important.
• This division is also often gendered
• Under Poor Law– Widows –outdoor relief– Unmarried mothers - workhouse
Unfair welfare?
• In the UK, the Beveridge model of welfare assumed that men would be breadwinners and women would be housewives.
Gendered welfare state
• Married women paid reduced National Insurance
• Women’s right to certain benefits came through her husband’s national insurance contributions
• Family Allowance paid direct to women
Gendered welfare states
• In the US, most recipients of insurance based benefits are men (contributions though work)
• Most recipients of means-tested programmes are women
• Means-tested benefits are stigmatised
Temporary Assistance Needy Families (TANF)
• Monthly welfare program for poor families with children under age 18.
• There is a 5 year lifetime limit on cash assistance (shorter some states).
• Paternity should be established
• Strong required to
participate in a work
activity.
Temporary Assistance Needy Families (TANF)
• Only about 50% of families poor enough to qualify receive TANF
• 12.9 million US children live below the poverty line (2003)
• 9 million have no health insurance(www.childrensdefense.org)
Gendered welfare
• Discuss with your neighbour, if you feel this policy will have a different impact on men and women
Family poverty
• Shift to work-based programmes means that childcare has become a major issue
• Childcare costs are a major barrier to women’s employment
• Childcare may not be available when women are working
Service economy
• Many jobs for women are in the service economy
– Shift-work– Evening work– Weekend work
Impact of Child Poverty
• Child poverty leads to:
– Inadequate education– Higher chances of law breaking– Reduced life expectancy– Increased morbidity
Hard choices
• Paid employment can lift people out of poverty.
• Inadequate childcare can have a detrimental affect on children
• Exemptions for mothers perpetuate gender stereotypes
Hard Choices
• What policies would you put in place to support children and eliminate child inequality?
Surestart programme
• Surestart centres are based in areas of deprivation
• Offer support to improve health and emotional development for young children
• Offer quality childcare
but work not
compulsory
Ageing population
• An ageing population need investment in caring resources.– Hospital care– Care homes– Care by unpaid carers
• In UK, 80% of care is from unpaid carers
Carers
• Majority of care is provided by women
– Women as workers in the care industry• Low paid, low status work
– Women caring at home
UK
• About 20% of people in their fifties are providing unpaid care
• Women are more likely than men do to personal care
• Men more likely to do household chores
Gender inequality
• Do you think the state or relatives should be responsible for supporting older people?
Comparative support
• Sweden– Home care is
embedded in national health service
– Funding for home care is high
• 11.2% receive support
– 8.7% in institutions
• UK– Nursing care is
supported but other support variable
– Funding for home care is low
• 5.5% receive support
– 5.1% in institutions
Summary
• Health and welfare provision is gendered in its design and delivery
• Childcare and care for the elderly are two areas that have major implications for gender inequality
Next week
• Comparative citizenship
• Consider position of migrants
• Who can be a citizen?