Comparative analysis of gender relations in employment in Western Europe

Highlights the fact that women’s employment is increasing in most Western countries, although the patterns are still very varied especially in relation to: the proportion who work full‐ or part‐time; the size of the wages gap between women and men; and the extent of the infrastructural support, such as publicly‐provided child care, that facilitates the reconciliation of working and home life. Notes that these are linked to the different patterns of gender relations in the wider society: both different degrees of inequality and different forms of patriarchy. Uses comparative analysis to investigate these differences and focuses on the methodological dilemmas in carrying out such cross‐national research.