It is common for European couples living fairly egalitarian lives to adopt a traditional division of labour at the transition to parenthood. Based on in-depth interviews with 332 parents-to-be in eight European countries, this book explores the implications of family policies and gender culture from the perspective of couples who are expecting their first child. Couples' Transitions to Parenthood: Analysing Gender and Work in Europe is the first comparative, qualitative study that explicitly locates couples' parenting ideals and plans in the wider context of national institutions. This unique analysis of transitions to parenthood in contemporary Europe focuses on Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic and Poland. It explores how parents' agency varies along with policy-culture gaps in their countries and provides evidence of their struggle to adapt to, or resist, socially desired paths and patterns of change. In fact, the ways in which institutional structures limit possible choices and beliefs about motherhood and fatherhood are linked in ways that often go unnoticed by social scientists, policy makers and parents themselves. This cutting-edge book will be of interest to social scientists, political scientists, journalists and policy-makers. Parents-to-be will also find value in this analysis of gender in parenthood. Contributors include: P. Abril, J. Alsarve, P. Amigot, S. Bertolini, C. Botia-Morillas, K. Boye, F. Buhlmann, A. Dechant, M. Dominguez Folgueras, M. Evertsson, N. Girardin, D. Grunow, M.J. Gonzalez, D. Hanappi, T. Jurado-Guerrero, I. Lapuerta, J.-M. Le Goff, T. Martin-Garcia, J. Monferrer, R. Musumeci, M. Naldini, O. Nesporova, M. Reimann, A. Rinklake, C. Roman, M. Seiz, R. Stuchla, P.M. Torrioni, I. Valarino, G. Veltkamp, M. Verweij

This innovative book explores the different ways in which dual-earner couples in contemporary welfare states plan for, realize and justify their divisions of work and care during the transition to parenthood. Providing a unique comparative, longitudinal and qualitative analysis of new parents in eight European countries, this timely book explicitly locates couples' beliefs and negotiations in the wider context of national institutional structures. Compelling evidence is provided, demonstrating that the ways and degrees to which new parents can realize their work-care plans and ideals systematically relate to the support structures and resources available from employers, families and the state. A key focus is on couples that act in a non-normative way compared to their national, gender cultural context. New Parents in Europe will be of great value to sociology, political science and economics scholars alike and, with its use of cutting-edge methodology, will prove to be a valuable resource for policy makers. Contributors include: J. Alsarve, S. Bertolini, K. Boye, S. Buchler, A. Dechant, M. Evertsson, N. Girardin, D. Grunow, D. Hanappi, M.J. Gonzalez, T. Jurado-Guerrero, I. Lapuerta, J.-M. Le Goff, T. Martin-Garcia, R. Musumeci, M. Naldini, O. Nesporova, M. Reimann, A. Rinklake, C. Roman, E.-M. Schmidt, M, Seiz, P.M. Torrioni, S. Vogl, U. Zartler