ISSUES OF WORK AND FAMILY IN DIFFERENT NATIONAL CONTEXTS - HOW THE UNITED-STATES, BRITAIN, AND SWEDEN RESPOND

The ability of people to deal constructively with the needs of work and of family depends on the kind of work they do; the organization that employs them; and the economic, social, and national context in which they live. This article compares the responses to this issue in the United States, Britain, and Sweden. In the United States, the effort has been to allow women to meet male work demands. In Britain, the emphasis has been on providing flexible arrangements for mothers who work. In neither case has there been any attempt to change the rules for career success or to deal with gender roles in the family. Sweden, however, has made the effort to try to equalize gender roles. This makes many aspects of life easier, but women still are seldom found in top positions. These differences in national context determine the kinds of responses that organizations can make to the family needs of their employees. Their implication for the United States response is discussed in the paper.