PI: Jennifer L. Glass Institution: University of Iowa
SES-1024431 PI: Robin W. Simon Institution: Wake Forest University
The goals of this research are twofold: (1) to document cross-national variation in the effect of parenthood on well-being in post-industrial developed economies, and (2) to determine whether cross-national variation in the effect of parenthood on well-being can be explained by variation in the quality and quantity of welfare state support for parenthood. This research will use the 2005 World Values Surveys from a sample of 21 OCED countries to determine the impact of parenthood on several key indicators of adult well-being, including life satisfaction, general happiness, mastery, fatalism, and self-rated health. The investigators hypothesize that those countries with greater public support for parenting will show less negative effects of parenthood on adult well-being than other countries with less support.
Broader Impacts: By investigating the role of public policies and institutional supports for parenting on parents? psychological well-being, this research can help identify those practices that minimize the child penalty on adult well-being, and most strongly affect the lived experience of parents.
Project Outcomes for General Public: The goals of this research were twofold: (1) to document cross-national variation in the effect of parenthood on well-being in post-industrial developed economies, and (2) to determine whether cross-national variation in the effect of parenthood on wellbeing can be explained by variation in the quality and quantity of welfare state support for parenthood. While parents in the U.S. are among the happiest parents in the developed countries of the world, they have the largest happiness 'gap' relative to non-parents. In short, Americans are a very happy lot in general, but parents are significantly less happy than non-parents in the U.S. In most other countries, the gap between parents and non-parents in self-reported happiness is either small or non-existent. In many European countries, for example, parents are significantly HAPPIER than non-parents. Because this happiness 'gap' in the U.S. suggests that parents face challenges in achieving personal happiness that non-parents do not face, we analyzed the impact of several specific public policies designed to help minimize work-family stresses, on parental happiness. Using models that control for country-specific age structures, fertility rates, and wealth (per capita GDP), we found that paid vacation/sick leave policies had strong consistent positive impacts on parents' happiness across country contexts. Paid parenting leave and paid maternity leave also had consistent positive effects on parents' happiness. None of these policies had a significant impact on non-parents' happiness. Some policies affected both parents and non-parents. Higher median child care costs were associated with decreased happiness for everyone in a country, but especially so for parents. This is particularly important in those countries like the U.S. with few public subsidies to keep child care costs low. Workplace flexibility policies that allow workers the right to work fewer hours when they have caregiving responsibilities increased happiness for all citizens, and slightly MORE for non-parents than for parents. The tax burden imposed on citizens for social insurance was associated with decreased happiness for all countries, but LESS so for parents than non-parents, meaning that parents are less reactive to the costs of benefits they are presumably more likely to use. In sum, public expenditures thought to primarily benefit families with children often yield significant happiness premiums in the general population as well. Many 'family' policies provide benefits that are important to the childless and help single individuals. Rather than divide the population, these policies seem to provide universally positive outcomes. We also speak to policy evaluation by showing which public policies provide the largest happiness 'enhancement' for parents in low fertility societies. These hopefully can be used to influence citizens' willingness to become parents in advanced industrialized societies (including the U.S.) where native born fertility rates are significantly below replacement level.
