No One Told Us

Episode 60: Work-Family Balance: What Can We Learn from Policies Around the World? with Caitlyn Collins

Oct 10, 2024

51:32

Episode 60: Work-Family Balance: What Can We Learn from Policies Around the World? with Caitlyn Collins

In this conversation, Rachael interviews Caitlyn Collins, an associate professor of sociology and author, about work-family life and how policies affect families in different countries. They discuss the differences between the United States, Sweden, Germany, Italy, and other countries in terms of parental leave, childcare, and work-life balance.

Inside this episode:

The importance of collective responsibility and cultural attitudes towards caregiving.
How better policies can not only benefit families but also have economic and social benefits for society as a whole.
The importance of Caitlyn’s book, Making Motherhood Work, which talks all about different countries and their different work-family policies and the work-family conflict that mothers (and fathers!) experience.
Why is Sweden often held up as a paragon of work-family policy?
How division of labor and gender inequality in households differs in other countries.
Changing the language around paid leave from “luck” to “rights” and why this can be a powerful shift
Flexible work options for moms
The potential for policy changes at the federal level in the United States.
And so much more!

Mentioned in this episode: