Article out in American Journal of Sociology, joint work with Marie Evertsson and Ylva Moberg:
The Nordic countries are often seen as supportive and family-friendly welfare states. However, there are still clear differences between men and women when it comes to balancing work and caregiving. In this study, we look closely at how family policies differ in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Using data from national population registers, we compare how earnings change for both same-sex and different-sex couples from three years before to five years after the birth of their first child. Our findings support the idea that policies offering cash benefits for staying at home can lead to more traditional family roles. In Finland, for example, these policies result in an uneven split of paid work and caregiving, with birth mothers—regardless of partner’s gender—seeing a large drop in earnings. In contrast, in more gender-equal countries like Denmark and Sweden, and even in Norway (which is often seen as more traditional), the earnings drop is much smaller for same-sex couples. This shows that when policies promote equality, they can help reduce inequalities and lessen the impact of traditional gender roles often seen in heterosexual couples.
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