Musick, Kelly : Seed Grant, 2014-2015

This project contributes a historical and cross-national perspective to understanding his and her work and earnings’ trajectories following parenthood in Sweden, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. This is true even in Sweden, which has been a front runner in policies explicitly aimed at promoting gender equality. The research team draws on cross-national data to address the following: Have men’s and women’s employment responses to childbirth become more symmetrical over time? Are gender disparities in work and earnings smaller in Sweden than in the U.S. and other European countries that pay less attention to gender equity at work and at home? What are the implications of gendered changes in employment among parents for social inequality? These questions tap critical gaps in the research on gendered work and family patterns, shedding light on the role of normative and policy environments in shaping how couples negotiate work and family roles and, in turn, broader dimensions of social inequality.