Towards a Sustainable Community, Work and Family Interface

A special issue of Societies (ISSN 2075-4698).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2017) | Viewed by 25971

Special Issue Editors

Department of Sociology, WWELL research centre, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Gemelli 1, 20123 Milan, Italy
Interests: work-family interface; organizational and government work-family policy; migrant entrepreneurship
Associate professor of Economic sociology Department of Sociology, WWELL research centre Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Gemelli 1, 20123 Milan, Italy
Interests: social policies; labour market policies; welfare; social dialogue; lifelong learning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that a Special Issue of Societies will be soon published. The overall theme is “Towards a Sustainable Community, Work and Family Interface”.

This Special Issue will be mainly based on selected papers presented at the 7th Community Work and Family Conference. Both theoretical and empirical manuscripts that are consistent with the aims and scope of the 7th Community Work and Family Conference may also be submitted. For more details on the conference themes please visit: http://dipartimenti.unicatt.it/sociologia-cwf-conference-presentation#content.

Dr. Egidio Riva
Dr. Lodigiani Rosangela
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Societies is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Sustainable workplaces
  • Family health and wellbeing
  • Community resilience
  • Policy innovation

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

32 pages, 694 KiB  
Article
A Job of One’s Own. Does Women’s Labor Market Participation Influence the Economic Insecurity of Households?
by Lara Maestripieri
Societies 2018, 8(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc8010007 - 19 Jan 2018
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4082
Abstract
Background: The article investigates the phenomenon of economic insecurity from a feminist perspective, assessing the role of women’s labour market participation in predicting the phenomenon. It draws on the work of Trifiletti (1999) to analyse women’s role in providing welfare for the [...] Read more.
Background: The article investigates the phenomenon of economic insecurity from a feminist perspective, assessing the role of women’s labour market participation in predicting the phenomenon. It draws on the work of Trifiletti (1999) to analyse women’s role in providing welfare for the entire family. Methods: Stemming from a cross-sectional analysis of European Union statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) 2013, logistic regression models (for women in a couple and for single women) are provided for six countries. Results: The descriptive analysis shows that economic insecurity affects single women more than single men, while couples fare better in all countries considered. Transversal factors that explain the phenomenon in logistic regressions are household type and wealth of the family, while the role of women’s labour market participation and economic dependency from partners or from a welfare system varies across countries. Conclusions: Empirical results show that countries only partially comply with the theoretical model proposed by Trifiletti (1999), which proceeded from the welfare regime debate. Italy and Spain show more difference than similarity. The results for Italy and the United Kingdom confirm those of previous investigations that indicate their similarity, while France and Spain are closer to the Mediterranean archetype. The results for the Czech Republic confirm its proximity to the breadwinner model, as Denmark epitomises the heuristic capacity of the Universalist model in Northern European countries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards a Sustainable Community, Work and Family Interface)
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184 KiB  
Article
The Importance of Job and Family Satisfaction for Happiness among Women and Men in Different Gender Regimes
by Mikael Nordenmark
Societies 2018, 8(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc8010001 - 26 Dec 2017
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 7507
Abstract
The family and the work place are two arenas of central importance for most adult people. Consequently, one can assume that the level of satisfaction with one’s family life and job may be critical to one’s level of happiness in general. However, there [...] Read more.
The family and the work place are two arenas of central importance for most adult people. Consequently, one can assume that the level of satisfaction with one’s family life and job may be critical to one’s level of happiness in general. However, there are reasons to believe that there are variations according to gender and gender regime. The general aim of this study is to analyse the relative importance of job satisfaction and satisfaction with family life for happiness among women and men in different gender regimes. Analyses are based on comparative data from the International Social Survey Program 2012. Results show that the level of satisfaction with family life appears more important to the general level of happiness than the level of job satisfaction. This is true for both women and men and in different gender regimes. However, the level of satisfaction with family life appears less important to men’s level of happiness in countries representing a conservative gender regime. Another interesting related result is that the level of happiness appears generally lower among women living in a conservative gender regime. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards a Sustainable Community, Work and Family Interface)
848 KiB  
Article
Being a Foster Family in Portugal—Motivations and Experiences
by Elisete Diogo and Francisco Branco
Societies 2017, 7(4), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc7040037 - 20 Dec 2017
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4125
Abstract
Foster care is an almost absent component in the child care system and scientific research conducted in Portugal foster comprises 3.2%1 of out-of-home care in Portugal. This research aims to contribute to a deeper visibility of the care phenomena, giving specific attention [...] Read more.
Foster care is an almost absent component in the child care system and scientific research conducted in Portugal foster comprises 3.2%1 of out-of-home care in Portugal. This research aims to contribute to a deeper visibility of the care phenomena, giving specific attention to the foster families themselves. This research adopted a qualitative analytical approach, inspired by Grounded Theory. Foster families’ motivation is rooted in altruism, affection for children, and sensitivity to maltreatment. Personal and professional biography or past contact with out-of-home care can also induce predisposition to become a carer. The experience of being a carer2 is one of traversing through a life of many challenges and rewards. Considering the recognition from the stakeholders, it is a rewarding task. The quality of the service provided and the performance of the care professionals are both key elements to foster care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards a Sustainable Community, Work and Family Interface)
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1156 KiB  
Article
Ambiguity among Managers in Small-Scale Enterprises: How to Handle Business and Workplace Health Management
by Stig Vinberg, Elisabeth Hansen, Marianne Hedlund and Bodil J. Landstad
Societies 2017, 7(4), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc7040031 - 09 Nov 2017
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4025
Abstract
Despite extensive research on health in working life, few studies focus on this issue from the perspective of managers in small-scale enterprises (SSEs). To gain deeper knowledge of managers’ perceptions and strategies for dealing with workplace health management, 13 Norwegian and Swedish SSE [...] Read more.
Despite extensive research on health in working life, few studies focus on this issue from the perspective of managers in small-scale enterprises (SSEs). To gain deeper knowledge of managers’ perceptions and strategies for dealing with workplace health management, 13 Norwegian and Swedish SSE managers were interviewed after participating in a workplace health development project. The methodical approach was based on Grounded Theory with a constructivist orientation. The main theme that emerged was ‘ambiguity in workplace health management and maintaining the business’, which was related to the categories ‘internal workplace settings’, ‘workplace surroundings’, and ‘leadership strategies’. The managers experienced ambiguity due to internal and external demands. These requirements were linked to the core challenges in dealing with multitasking leadership, financial decision-making, labour legislation, staff development and maintaining business. However, the managers developed new skills and competence and thereby a more reflexive approach and readiness to create a health-promoting workplace from being part of a development project. The implications are that managers in SSEs need to exchange experiences and discuss workplace health issues with other managers in networks. It is also important that occupational health services and social and welfare organizations use tailor-made models and strategies for supporting SSEs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards a Sustainable Community, Work and Family Interface)
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284 KiB  
Article
Leisure for People with Disabilities in Rural Quebec
by Romain Roult, Hélène Carbonneau, Émilie Belley-Ranger, Marc St-Onge, Isabelle Brunet and Jean-Marc Adjizian
Societies 2017, 7(3), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc7030022 - 02 Sep 2017
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5444
Abstract
Leisure is an instrument used to facilitate the social integration of people with disabilities. However, it requires significant knowledge of the needs and expectations of this clientele, who often experience isolation, especially in rural areas. The general objective of this study was to [...] Read more.
Leisure is an instrument used to facilitate the social integration of people with disabilities. However, it requires significant knowledge of the needs and expectations of this clientele, who often experience isolation, especially in rural areas. The general objective of this study was to attempt to identify and understand the realities experienced by the partners of the Quebec Association for Leisure for People with Disabilities, who offer various services and leisure activities to people with disabilities in rural Quebec. Through focus groups and semi-structured interviews with seventy local stakeholders, this study highlights the fact that the needs of organizations offering recreational activities to people with disabilities are increasingly urgent, especially in terms of finances, paratransit, accessibility, specialized human resources and consultation. This study also demonstrates that recreational activities are essential for the social and identity development of people with disabilities, but also for the development of more inclusive and connected rural communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards a Sustainable Community, Work and Family Interface)
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