abstract: 'This study is the first to explicitly assess the connections between

  welfare state spending and the gendered and classed dimensions of unpaid

  care work across 29 European nations. Our research uses multi-level

  model analysis of European Quality of Life Survey data, examining

  childcare and housework burdens for people living with at least one

  child under the age of 18. Two key findings emerge: First, by

  disaggregating different types of unpaid care work, we find that

  childcare provision is more gendered than classed-reflecting trends

  toward ``intensive mothering{''''}. Housework and cooking, on the

  contrary, demonstrate both gender and class effects, likely because they

  are more readily outsourced by wealthier individuals to the paid care

  sector. Second, while overall social expenditure has no effect on hours

  spent on childcare and housework, results suggest that family policy may

  shape the relationship between gender, income, and housework (but not

  childcare). Specifically, family policy expenditure is associated with a

  considerably smaller gender gap vis-a-vis the time dedicated to

  housework: This effect is present across the income spectrum, but is

  particularly substantial in the case of lower income women.'
affiliation: 'Lightman, N (Corresponding Author), Univ Calgary, Dept Sociol, 2500
  Univ Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.

  Lightman, Naomi, Univ Calgary, Sociol, Calgary, AB, Canada.

  Kevins, Anthony, Univ Loughborough, Polit \& Int Studies, Sch Social Sci \& Humanities,
  Loughborough, Leics, England.'
article-number: 08912432211038695
author: Lightman, Naomi and Kevins, Anthony
author-email: naomi.lightman@ucalgary.ca
author_list:
- family: Lightman
  given: Naomi
- family: Kevins
  given: Anthony
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1177/08912432211038695
earlyaccessdate: AUG 2021
eissn: 1552-3977
files: []
issn: 0891-2432
journal: GENDER \& SOCIETY
keywords: 'care work; inequality; gender; social policy; comparative;

  cross-national'
keywords-plus: 'INCOME INEQUALITY; HOUSEHOLD LABOR; TIME SPENT; CHILD-CARE; HOUSEWORK;

  CONVERGENCE; FAMILY; DIVISION; PATTERNS'
language: English
month: OCT
number: '5'
number-of-cited-references: '59'
orcid-numbers: 'Kevins, Anthony/0000-0003-3172-6632

  Lightman, Naomi/0000-0001-6070-0381'
pages: 778-805
papis_id: f369dda59c8cc4addf6417f1ceac5a80
ref: Lightman2021womenswork
researcherid-numbers: 'Kevins, Anthony/P-8562-2019

  '
times-cited: '4'
title: '``Women''s Work″: Welfare State Spending and the Gendered and Classed Dimensions
  of Unpaid Care'
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000685834200001
usage-count-last-180-days: '2'
usage-count-since-2013: '16'
volume: '35'
web-of-science-categories: Sociology; Women's Studies
year: '2021'