Who Works, Who Cares: Gendered Redistribution in Dutch Parliamentary Debates on Paid and Unpaid Labor in the 1970s

This thesis examines what Dutch parliamentary debates on unpaid and paid labor in the 1970s reveal about the conceptualization of gendered labor redistribution. With some of the highest rates of women’s participation in part-time work, the Netherlands stands out in European context. Internationally, it is regarded as an example of a state where part-time work is not only widely institutionalized but also recognized and protected as a fully-fledged form of employment. Yet, these part-time work patterns are a testament to historical gender expectations regarding paid and unpaid labor. A significant amount of literature has reflected on the origins and effects of this phenomenon. Nevertheless, the reasons why this particular division of labor became the dominant model, instead of more equitable alternatives, remain insufficiently addressed. This study centers on the tension between the emergence of ideas aimed at attaining a more equitable distribution of unpaid and paid work in the...Show moreThis thesis examines what Dutch parliamentary debates on unpaid and paid labor in the 1970s reveal about the conceptualization of gendered labor redistribution. With some of the highest rates of women’s participation in part-time work, the Netherlands stands out in European context. Internationally, it is regarded as an example of a state where part-time work is not only widely institutionalized but also recognized and protected as a fully-fledged form of employment. Yet, these part-time work patterns are a testament to historical gender expectations regarding paid and unpaid labor. A significant amount of literature has reflected on the origins and effects of this phenomenon. Nevertheless, the reasons why this particular division of labor became the dominant model, instead of more equitable alternatives, remain insufficiently addressed. This study centers on the tension between the emergence of ideas aimed at attaining a more equitable distribution of unpaid and paid work in the 1970s, and the lack of structural implementation of these ideas. Ultimately, it argues that the emergence of the enduring Dutch labor pattern of the ‘one-and-a-half-earner’ model was the product of a complex interaction between a selective political responsiveness to emancipatory goals, deeply ingrained gender norms, societal pressures, and economic interests.Show less

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Who Works, Who Cares: Gendered Redistribution in Dutch Parliamentary Debates on Paid and Unpaid Labor in the 1970s