Course content

This course offers a theoretical and empirical lens for understanding contemporary challenges within the field of work-family research. The focus will be on international comparison of work/family reconciliation and draw upon work from leading scholars in the work/family field from the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Nordic countries to explore tensions and opportunities in the intersection of the three institutions; working life, the welfare state and the family. The course examines how work-family dynamics are shaped, squeezed and developed between working life demands, welfare state policies and family ideals and competing logics of economic competitiveness, regulations and morals across countries.

Learning outcome

Knowledge: The student shall have:
-Theoretical and empirical knowledge about work and family reconciliation in a comparative perspective
-Understand how intersecting processes in working life, welfare state and family creates tensions and opportunities in different countries
Skills: The student shall demonstrate the ability to:
- treat one of the themes which was discussed in instruction in an independent empirical analytical manner at an internationally high level.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures and seminars. If few students attend the course in the first two weeeks of teaching, the course will be given as an individual study course with supervision. Please contact the departement for further information.

Form of assessment: Paper

Required previous knowledge

Masters degree in Sociology or equivalent

Course materials

To be decided at the start of the course

Credit reductions