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Work, Employment & Society
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Care strategies among high- and low-skilled mothers: a world of difference?

Maja Debacker

University of Antwerp, Belgium, maja.debacker{at}ua.ac.be

The aim of this article is to gain better insight into the care strategies of mothers with varying qualification levels. The analysis is focused on the determinants of work—care decisions in the Belgian region of Flanders. It hypothesizes that schooling level is a crucial factor. Additionally, given the intense debates in the care literature provoked by the work of Catherine Hakim, particular attention is devoted to how personal preferences interact with schooling level. The results reveal a more subtle effect of personal preferences than is suggested by Hakim. Personal preferences impact on the work—care choices of mothers with lower qualifications but not on the choices of high-skilled mothers. Moreover, low-skilled mothers remain constrained in their choices since they cannot afford full-time formal care. The results indicate that personal preferences, rather than being the most crucial factors, impact on the work—care choices of mothers within the boundaries of structural constraints.

Key Words: Belgium • childcare • gender • preferences • skill levels

Work, Employment & Society, Vol. 22, No. 3, 527-545 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0950017008093476
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