SYG-1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 36: Emotion Work, Opportunity Cost

Parental Leave Policies Across Countries

Median amount of fully-paid time off available to a mom for the birth of a child is about five-to-

six months.

Govt. is footing the bill in a vast majority of cases, but in some, employers also have to

contribute.

Among these 38 countries, along with Mexico, the U.S. offers the smallest amount of leave

protection related to the birth of a child—12 weeks unpaid leave. In the U.S., this is a result of

the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) which was enacted in 1993, and guarantees job

for new fathers. Norway, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia, Sweden and Germany all offer eight weeks

or more of protected paternity leave, and with the exception of Ireland these countries also

mandate that a portion of this time off be paid.

Paternity leave, where available, is more modest—in Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,

South Korea, Austria and Hungary paternity leave is guaranteed for one week or less.

Stone: Opting Out—review Stone

Rhetoric of choice

True choice

Being a stay-at-home mother

Choie Feiis

Video links

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/07/magazine/how-shared-diaper-duty-could-stimulate-the-

economy.html?hp&_r=0

http://fora.tv/2012/07/01/Couric__Anne-Marie_Slaughter_Can_Women_Have_It_All

http://fora.tv/2010/01/30/The_Gender_Agenda_Putting_Parity_into_PracticeVideo Links