Gender, Work and Family in Turbulent Times

Gender, Work and Family in Turbulent Times This article discusses the changing dynamics between gender, work and family during COVID-19. It explores the challenges of balancing work and caring responsibilities in the family, particularly for women. The article also examines how gender roles have changed across social classes and highlights directions for future research, such as how family life education can better support gender equality practice (MDPI).

Discussion Question 1: How can work-family life balance be achieved in everyday life? How does gender equality affect this balance?

Guiding Description: The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the challenges of work and caring responsibilities in the home, especially for women, who are often the primary family carers. At the same time, the notion of gender equality promotes a redistribution of responsibilities in dual-income families. However, achieving this balance may face multiple cultural, economic and occupational challenges. Please discuss, in your experience or that of others, how do you find a balance between family and workplace? For example, in some countries, such as Sweden, the implementation of male parental leave policies has helped to reduce gender inequality and encourage fathers to take on more family responsibilities. How do you think such a policy affects your country or culture?

Example: During COVID-19, many families found that the traditional division of gender roles became more pronounced. For example, some women had to work fewer hours to care for their children and families, while some men took on greater childcare responsibilities for the first time. Students can discuss examples such as these and share whether they have observed similar phenomena in their society and how they have responded to these changes (MDPI) (SpringerLink).