THE MODELS OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN NORWAY AT THE END OF THE XXth CENTURY – THE BEGINNING OF THE XXIst CENTURY IN THE CONTEXT OF GENDER EQUALITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24919/2519-058x.15.204968Keywords:
models of work-life balance, Norway, gender equality, state policy, feminism, childcare.Abstract
The aim of the research is to describe, to analyse and to compare different models of the work-life balance, which were implemented in Norway to remove the gender asymmetry at the end of the XXth century – the beginning of the XXIst century. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, systemicity and interdisciplinarity. The following methods have been used while carrying out the research: general scientific (analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, analogy, generalization) and specially-historical (historiographical analysis, retrospective, historical-comparative). The gender approach, which is aimed to critically analyse the processes of constructing, interiorization and reproducing social representations of “masculine” and “feminine”, as well as the peculiarities of the activity and interaction of men and women in various spheres of life through the prism of gender hierarchy, has been applied. The scientific novelty of the research consists in comprehending models of work-life balance in Norway in the context of gender equality. The Conclusions. During the end of the XXth century – the beginning of the XXIst century the three main models of work-life balance were implemented in Norway – the universal breadwinner, the universal caregiver and the caregiver parity. Norway, in contrast to many other European countries, offers its citizens a wide range of models of work-life balance. This kind of policy has its advantages and disadvantages, because the “freedom of choice” is often a smokescreen behind which there is a patriarchal structure reproduction. In particular, the “cash-for-care” system, which is the essential part of caregiver parity model, is based on the patriarchal ideology. The universal breadwinner model, which is the most popular among the Norwegians, does not promote gender equality as well, because it still puts the main part of caregiving on women. At the same time at the beginning of the XXIst century the dilemma of choosing a model of work-life balance obtained the intersectional connotation due to the large number of immigrants-representatives of other ethnic groups, cultures, and religions.References
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