Regional and workplace work-life balance policies and marriage, fertility, and partner relationship

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25380658
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: Fuwa Makiko 首都大学東京, 人文科学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (40451877)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 家族 / 就業 / ワーク・ライフ・バランス / ジェンダー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Utilizing the Japanese Life Course Panel Survey (JLPS) data, this study examines (1) the states and changes in work-life balance (WLB) policies in Japanese companies and (2) the association between WLB policies and marital and fertility aspirations as well as their effects on the division of housework between spouses. The results suggest that WLB policies increase interactions between married men and their spouses and housework. However, WLB policies also increase married women’s share of housework. Further, the availability of public childcare services does not have significant effect on the negotiation between the spouses within the household. In addition, the effect of WLB policies on women’s marital and fertility aspiration differs by occupation.

Free Research Field

社会学