Original scientific paper
COMBINING WORK AND FAMILY LIFE IN SLOVENIA: AN ETHIC OF CARE PERSPECTIVE FOR NORMATIVE POLICY ANALYSIS
Alenka ŠVAB
Abstract
Taking the ethic of care perspective, the paper deals
with the way in which Slovenian family policy conceptualises
the relationship between family and work responsibilities.
While Slovenian family policy seems to be modern as far as
recognition of heterogeneity of family life and promotion of
equal opportunities are concerned, the approach through the
ethic of care reveals several problems, such as the emphasis
on the model of the economically independent individual;
reduction of care to a child care within the family and
omitting other aspects of care (care for elderly, for the self
etc.). The analysis of the normative framework of Slovenian
family policy shows that special priority in the work-family
relationship goes to work, under the assumption that all
adults are actively present in the labour force and are
capable of taking care of them, while care is needed only by
the really dependent people (e.g. disabled, elderly, children).
The article ends up with some proposals for improving policy
of reconciliation of family and work.
Keywords
ethic of care; family; family policy; gendered division of labour; reconciliation of family and work; work; policies of equal opportunities
Hrčak ID:
19174
URI
Publication date:
31.10.2007.
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