Articulation between family and welfare state in Southern European countries

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to identify the most prominent features of a family policy model in Southern European countries. The main contention is that such a model must not be sought in the explicit measures regarding the strict field «family policy», but in the main characteristics of Mediterranean welfare regimes, including a heavily gender-biased labour market, a widespread prevalence of home-ownership, and a set of widely shared familyorientated values that contribute to its reproduction. While a low rate of female employment is probably associated with a lack of family-friendly provisions, the model is reproduced because care services within the family are not externalized to the market. This not only inhibits tertiarization, but also hinders demands for family policy measures from the welfare state.