Edited by Sirin Sung, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast, UK

‘Spanning four continents, this book provides new insights into understanding work–family balance policies and gender equality in a wide range of welfare systems. The focus on countries not usually discussed in comparative literature is very welcome, as is the section exploring the effects of policies during and after COVID. The discussion is timely and forward-looking.’

• Contents1 Introduction: Gender, Family and Policy: International Perspectives 1Sirin SungTHE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON WOMEN AND THE FAMILY2 The gendered work–family interface and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US 21Maura J. Mills, Aditi Rabindra Sachdev and Lisa E. Baranik3 Gender, family, and policy in the Netherlands: reconciling work and care for children in the 21st century 41Mara A. Yerkes and Bram Peper4 Gender, family policies and the gendered impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland 59Merita Mesiäislehto, Milla Salin and Mia HakovirtaWORK–FAMILY BALANCE POLICIES: THE IMPACT ON GENDER EQUALITY5 Balancing work and family in policy and practice: coping strategies for Korean working mothers in dual-earner families 77Sirin Sung6 The gendered division of domestic labour in China: meanings, policies and practices 96Yi Zhang7 Japanese mothers’ employment over the past three decades: interaction between work–family policies and labour market duality 111Junko NishimuraCHILDCARE, MOTHERHOOD AND FATHERHOOD: POLICY IMPLICATIONS8 Reworking the Wagga Rug: how Australian retail workers make patchworks of care 131Megan Blaxland and Natasha Cortis9 Can work, can’t work, won’t work: how lone mothers in Northern Ireland justify their employment decisions 153Madeleine Leonard and Grace Kelly10 Gendered care of Australian Chinese disabled children and young people 172Qian Fang, Karen R. Fisher and Xiaoran Wang11 Towards socialising childcare in South Korea: the historical legacy of marketised childcare provision 190Sung-Hee Lee12 Is it a matter of economy? Why fathers in Sweden do not use parental leave 1994–2017 209Ann-Zofie Duvander and Susanne Fahlén13 US fathers’ perceptions of parental leave: work interruptions and attitudes toward leave policies 239Gayle Kaufman and Amanda R. Martinez14 Conclusion: towards gender-egalitarian family policies 256Sirin Sung

Edited by Sirin Sung, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast, UK

‘Spanning four continents, this book provides new insights into understanding work–family balance policies and gender equality in a wide range of welfare systems. The focus on countries not usually discussed in comparative literature is very welcome, as is the section exploring the effects of policies during and after COVID. The discussion is timely and forward-looking.’

• Contents1 Introduction: Gender, Family and Policy: International Perspectives 1Sirin SungTHE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON WOMEN AND THE FAMILY2 The gendered work–family interface and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US 21Maura J. Mills, Aditi Rabindra Sachdev and Lisa E. Baranik3 Gender, family, and policy in the Netherlands: reconciling work and care for children in the 21st century 41Mara A. Yerkes and Bram Peper4 Gender, family policies and the gendered impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland 59Merita Mesiäislehto, Milla Salin and Mia HakovirtaWORK–FAMILY BALANCE POLICIES: THE IMPACT ON GENDER EQUALITY5 Balancing work and family in policy and practice: coping strategies for Korean working mothers in dual-earner families 77Sirin Sung6 The gendered division of domestic labour in China: meanings, policies and practices 96Yi Zhang7 Japanese mothers’ employment over the past three decades: interaction between work–family policies and labour market duality 111Junko NishimuraCHILDCARE, MOTHERHOOD AND FATHERHOOD: POLICY IMPLICATIONS8 Reworking the Wagga Rug: how Australian retail workers make patchworks of care 131Megan Blaxland and Natasha Cortis9 Can work, can’t work, won’t work: how lone mothers in Northern Ireland justify their employment decisions 153Madeleine Leonard and Grace Kelly10 Gendered care of Australian Chinese disabled children and young people 172Qian Fang, Karen R. Fisher and Xiaoran Wang11 Towards socialising childcare in South Korea: the historical legacy of marketised childcare provision 190Sung-Hee Lee12 Is it a matter of economy? Why fathers in Sweden do not use parental leave 1994–2017 209Ann-Zofie Duvander and Susanne Fahlén13 US fathers’ perceptions of parental leave: work interruptions and attitudes toward leave policies 239Gayle Kaufman and Amanda R. Martinez14 Conclusion: towards gender-egalitarian family policies 256Sirin Sung

Edited by Sirin Sung, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast, UK

‘Spanning four continents, this book provides new insights into understanding work–family balance policies and gender equality in a wide range of welfare systems. The focus on countries not usually discussed in comparative literature is very welcome, as is the section exploring the effects of policies during and after COVID. The discussion is timely and forward-looking.’

• Contents1 Introduction: Gender, Family and Policy: International Perspectives 1Sirin SungTHE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON WOMEN AND THE FAMILY2 The gendered work–family interface and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US 21Maura J. Mills, Aditi Rabindra Sachdev and Lisa E. Baranik3 Gender, family, and policy in the Netherlands: reconciling work and care for children in the 21st century 41Mara A. Yerkes and Bram Peper4 Gender, family policies and the gendered impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland 59Merita Mesiäislehto, Milla Salin and Mia HakovirtaWORK–FAMILY BALANCE POLICIES: THE IMPACT ON GENDER EQUALITY5 Balancing work and family in policy and practice: coping strategies for Korean working mothers in dual-earner families 77Sirin Sung6 The gendered division of domestic labour in China: meanings, policies and practices 96Yi Zhang7 Japanese mothers’ employment over the past three decades: interaction between work–family policies and labour market duality 111Junko NishimuraCHILDCARE, MOTHERHOOD AND FATHERHOOD: POLICY IMPLICATIONS8 Reworking the Wagga Rug: how Australian retail workers make patchworks of care 131Megan Blaxland and Natasha Cortis9 Can work, can’t work, won’t work: how lone mothers in Northern Ireland justify their employment decisions 153Madeleine Leonard and Grace Kelly10 Gendered care of Australian Chinese disabled children and young people 172Qian Fang, Karen R. Fisher and Xiaoran Wang11 Towards socialising childcare in South Korea: the historical legacy of marketised childcare provision 190Sung-Hee Lee12 Is it a matter of economy? Why fathers in Sweden do not use parental leave 1994–2017 209Ann-Zofie Duvander and Susanne Fahlén13 US fathers’ perceptions of parental leave: work interruptions and attitudes toward leave policies 239Gayle Kaufman and Amanda R. Martinez14 Conclusion: towards gender-egalitarian family policies 256Sirin Sung