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?