Nordic Earner-Carer Politics

A Comparative and Historical Analysis

Anne Lise Ellingsæter, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Oslo and Institute for Social Research, Oslo, Norway

This insightful book provides a comprehensive comparative historical analysis of the formation and evolution of Nordic earner-carer policies over five decades. Spanning parental leave, father quotas, daycare services, and cash for childcare allowances, it explores the key roles that ideas and political parties play in the policy reform process.

‘In tracing 50 years of the history of earner-carer models in the five Nordic countries, this important book provides new insights into one of the defining features of the welfare state. Its compelling analysis of both the politics and policies associated with earner-carer models is a major contribution to scholarship.’
– Mary Daly, University of Oxford, UK

“安妮丽丝我和我的朋友sæter has long been an influential scholar of Nordic social policies, keenly analyzing policy architectures and their effects on gendered divisions of labor. In this ground-breaking book, she turns her experienced eye to policy formation. Focusing on the role of ideas and partisan political dynamics, and applying a comparative and historical lens, she skillfully unwinds complex policy trajectories.’
– Janet C. Gornick, Graduate Center, City University of New York, US