Abstract
In order to investigate and compare welfare states or specific welfare programmes, scientists, opinion‐makers and politicians rely on indicators. As many of the concepts or objects studied are somewhat abstract, these indicators can often only be approximations. In comparative welfare‐state research, scholars have suggested several approximating indicators to quantitatively measure and compare the generosity of public welfare provision, with a special focus on cash benefits. These indicators include social spending, social rights and benefit receipt. We present these indicators systematically, and critically discuss how suitable they are for comparing the generosity of parenting leave policies in developed welfare states. Subsequently, we illustrate how the operationalisation of leave generosity by means of different indicators can lead to different rankings, interpretations and qualifications of countries. Hence, indicator choices have to be considered carefully and suitably justified, depending on the actual research interest.
Subject
Sociology and Political Science,Social Psychology
Reference51 articles.
1. Avram, S., & Popova, D. (2020). Do welfare state taxes and transfers reduce gender income inequality? Evidence from eight European countries (EUROMOD Working Paper EM9/20). Colchester: Institute for Social and Economic Research.
2. Bártová, A. (2017). ‘Genderising’ aspects of birth-related leave policies and fertility behaviour in Europe: Understanding policy from an individual’s perspective (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation). University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
3. Bártová, A., & Emery, T. (2018). Measuring policy entitlements at the micro-level: Maternity and parental leave in Europe. Community, Work & Family, 21(1), 33–52.
4. Bonoli, G. (2005). The politics of the new social policies: Providing coverage against new social risks in mature welfare states. Policy & Politics, 33(3), 431–449.
5. Bruning, G., & Plantenga, J. (1999). Parental leave and equal opportunities: Experiences in eight European countries. Journal of European Social Policy, 9(3), 195–209.
Cited by
10 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献，注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献，订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献