Dr Josefine Nyby, course leader for Society, Politics and Policy BA is a part of the currently written Research Handbook on Leave Policy. Featuring contributions from leading international scholars of social policy, this dynamic research handbook provides a comprehensive overview of conceptual and methodological developments in leave policy research, as well as state-of-the-art findings on leave policy determinants and outcomes globally.
The chapter The role of ideas in parenting leaves: the case of gender equality and its politicization in Finland in the book Research Handbook on leave policy: Parenting and social inequalities in a global context (Edward Elgar Publishing) discusses the role of ideas in parenting leave policy, problematizing the idea of gender equality, and how Finnish political parties use different interpretations of such when pushing for reform of the parental leave system. This contributes to the literature on idea-driven social policy change in general, and how the idea of gender equality is understood by Finnish politicians in the context of the parental leave system in particular. We argue that in the case of Finnish parental leave policies, politicians use 'equality of opportunity' and 'equality of outcome' synonymously, even if that is not the case. We also argue, in this context, that the idea of 'equality of outcome' has gotten a more central role amongst parties on the centre-left.
A pdf of the chapter is available upon request.
