2009 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Comparative studies on the work-life balance in firms between Sweden, the Netherlands and Japan
| Project/Area Number |
19402012
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 海外学術 |
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| Research Field |
Gender
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| Research Institution | Ritsumeikan University |
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Principal Investigator |
SHINODA Takeshi Ritsumeikan University, 産業社会学部, 教授 (20115405)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
MAEDA Nobuhiko 立命館大学, 産業社会学部, 教授 (20222284)
MATSUDA Ryozo 立命館大学, 産業社会学部, 教授 (20260812)
SAITO Yayoi 大阪大学, 人間科学部, 准教授 (40263347)
KITA Akemi 福井県立大学, 看護福祉学部, 准教授 (60300125)
FUKUCHI Shioto 中部学院大学, 社会福祉学部, 准教授 (00412833)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2007 – 2009
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| Keywords | ワーク・ライフ・バランス / ワーク・ファミリー・バランス / 時間規制 / ジェンダー平等 / 両親稼ぎ手・両親ケアー家族モデル / 選択の可能性 / シティズン・シップ |
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| Research Abstract |
Sweden and the Netherlands are countries known for their better work-life balance (WLB) models. However, what policies and ideas combine work and life well? The results of our research show that first is shortening of working hours. Second, a good work-family balance (WFB) for working parents who are caring children is also important to WLB. Long parent leaves and high-quality childcare facilities are essential means to reach the good WLB. In addition, it is important that childcare should be considered as the right of social citizenship in order to enrich such parents leave and childcare services. A new idea of rights of social citizenship is needed to promote WLF like Sweden. A new family model ; the both bread-winner/both care family model is emerging. However, the model of Netherlands and Japan remains in the traditional family model, Therefore, public supported childcare facilities are not so many because mothers care children at home. Third, the strong consensus on gender equality is also crucial to achieve WLB and WFB work-family balance. Fourth, work-life balance policies links greatly with the idea of society, that is, the society where the 'possibility of choice' is open equally to all the people and that supports individual needs and hopes for them to do this and to be that. WLB is one of most important policies to achieve the 'possibility of choice' and to make it come true. These are the results that we have reached with our research.
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