Gender Norms at Play - A sociological study on new, first-time parents’ attitudes towards the EU directive on earmarked paternity leave

Abstract

This thesis aims to examine gender norms in parental leave praxes and attitudes towards earmarked paternity leave. The starting point is a forthcoming EU directive on work-life balance for parents and carers that will implement earmarked paternity leave in Denmark by 2022. The empirical data consists of nine semi-structured interviews with six new, first-time parents (three couples). The study sets out to explore these first-time parents’ contemplations about parenthood and their distribution of parental leave. Furthermore, their arguments in favor of and against earmarked paternity leave, respectively, are uncovered. The theoretical framework comprises Judith Butler’s theory on gender performativity and Pierre Bourdieu’s analysis of masculine domination as an example of symbolic violence. Based on the study, I observe that parental leave praxes are highly influenced by traditional perceptions about work, parenthood, and gender – including the persistent stereotype that the mother is the natural caretaker. Moreover, the study finds that the question of earmarked paternity leave is a complex and ambiguous matter. Among the new, first-time parents, there seems to be a trade-off between, on the one hand, idealistic attitudes towards gender equality and, on the other hand, pragmatic considerations of economy, work, and family life. Within the proposed framework of Butler and Bourdieu, these findings support previous studies in concluding that the distribution of parental leave continues to be highly informed by gendered norms, which are embodied and performed within the context of parenthood.

Popular Abstract

This thesis explores parental leave praxes and attitudes towards earmarked paternity from a gender perspective. The starting point is the current skewed distribution of parental leave between men and women in Denmark. As a consequence of weak legislative support, Danish men take up much less parental leave than men in the other Nordic countries: An average of 32 days, equivalent to 10% of the total parental leave, whereas it is 20% in Norway and 30% in Sweden and Iceland. Today, Danish men have the right to two weeks of earmarked paternity leave. In contrast, a total of 18 weeks is reserved for the mother. However, The European Union has recently approved a new directive, which reserves two months (nine weeks) of earmarked leave for each parent in all Member States, including Denmark, from 2022. Based on nine qualitative interviews with six new, first-time parents, who are or have recently been on parental leave, the thesis aims to examine their perceptions of gender norms in parenthood, how they make sense of their distribution of parental leave, and further, how they argue for and against the forthcoming EU directive on earmarked paternity leave. The theoretical perspectives of the thesis comprise understandings of gender identity and performativity to examine how parental leave praxes and ideas about earmarked paternity leave is influenced by discourses and normative ideas about how to act “properly” as man and woman, respectively. The thesis finds that parental leave praxes among new, first-time parents are highly influenced by traditional perceptions about parenthood and gender – including the persistent stereotype that the mother is the “natural” caretaker, which comes to “naturalize” that she takes most of the parental leave. This is despite the fact the all of the couples show strong support in a more equalized distribution of the paternal leave. In this regard, a key observation is the importance of economic and work-related barriers determining the couple’s distribution of parental leave. Moreover, concerning their attitudes towards the EU directive on earmarked paternity leave, the study documents a high degree of ambivalence among the parents. Although they agree that such an initiative can benefit both mother and father and be “a step in the right direction” to reduce the skewed distribution of parental leave between men and women, the parents are skeptical of what they perceive as an invasive character of the legislation. Based on these findings, the analysis points to the fact that understandings of parental leave are still highly influenced by traditional gender norms and perceptions of mother- and fatherhood.

• author: Bay Rasmussen, Ida Sofie
• supervisor: Bo Isenberg
• organization: Graduate School; Master of Science in Social Studies of Gender
• course: SIMV21 20211
• year: 2021
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Social Sciences
• keywords: Earmarked paternity leave, parenthood, gender norms, gender discourses, performativity, Butler, Bourdieu
• language: English
• id: 9053584
• date added to LUP: 2021-06-16 10:32:24
• date last changed: 2021-06-16 10:32:24