Social psychological predictors of involvement in childcare: the mediating role of changes in women’s work patterns after childbirth

ABSTRACT

This study sought to explore the role of couples’ social psychological characteristics in the division of childcare responsibilities. Using a longitudinal sample of 148 expecting couples, gender ideologies, attitudes toward the father role and self-enhancement values were measured during the third trimester of pregnancy. As hypothesized, prenatal gender ideologies predicted maternal and paternal involvement in childcare one year postpartum, and their effect was mediated by changes in the mothers’ work patterns following childbirth. Moreover, parents’ attitudes toward the father role predicted the father’s involvement in childcare, and the importance the parents placed on self-enhancement values predicted their own lower levels of involvement in childcare and greater involvement of their spouses. Taken together, the findings stress the importance of couples’ social psychological characteristics and suggest that they guide couples’ decisions about changes in the mother’s work hours and income, which in turn affect the division of childcare responsibilities.     

Values in Middle Childhood: Social and Genetic Contributions

Theories of value development often identify adolescence as the period for value formation, and cultural and familial factors as the sources for value priorities. However, recent research suggests that value priorities can be observed as early as in middle childhood, and several studies, including one on preadolescents, have suggested a genetic contribution to individual differences in values. In the current study, 174 pairs of monozygotic and dizygotic seven‐year‐old Israeli twins completed the Picture‐based Value Survey for Children (PBVS–C). We replicated basic patterns of relations between value priorities and variables of socialization—gender, religiosity, and socioeconomic status—that have been found in studies with adults. Most important, values of Self‐transcendence, Self‐enhancement, and Conservation, were found to be significantly affected by genetic factors (29 percent, 47 percent, and 31 percent, respectively), as well as non‐shared environment (71 percent, 53 percent, and 69 percent, respectively). Openness to change values, in contrast, were found to be unaffected by genetic factors at this age and were influenced by shared (19 percent) and non‐shared (81 percent) environment. These findings support the recent view that values are formed at earlier ages than had been assumed previously, and they further our understanding of the genetic and environmental factors involved in value formation at young ages.     

Attitudes to prioritization in selected health care activities

The aim of this study was to measure attitudes to health care prioritization in various Finnish population groups. Three study groups were established: 1) the general public (n=4260); 2) politicians (n=1427); and 3) medical and social work professionals (n=1055).
The following background data were obtained: sex, year of birth, marital status, number of children, education, profession, personal income, self-perceived health, and how subjects viewed their own future and whether they were satisfied with their lives. Information on activities involving prioritization of health service was elicited by presenting a list of 16 health care activities. Respondents evaluated these activities as 1) more important than average, 2) of average importance, or 3) less important than average (indicated as numbers 1-3).
The response rate was 59.3%, and 57.2% (n=3858) of the original sample was accepted for analysis. The politicians and profes-sionals showed almost identical attitudes. All groups prioritized treatment of life-threatening diseases among children. The general public prioritized high-tech surgery more highly than professionals or politicians. Alternative medicine and cosmetic surgery were the two least important activities. All groups agreed about prioritization of serious diseases among children, care of dying patients, prevention, surgery which helps people to perform their everyday tasks, and home care for the disabled elderly. Professionals and politicians prioritized mental health more highly than the population. The general public prioritized intensive care for premature babies with a low birth weight (less than 800 g). Professionals prioritized family planning more highly than politicians and the population. The results resemble those obtained in Britain, indicating that attitudes towards priorities in health are similar between Britain and Finland, and that the respondents' professions determine attitudes more strongly than does cultural background.     

Enterprise Ownership, Market Competition and Manufacturing Priorities in a Sub-Saharan African Emerging Economy: Evidence from Ghana

The economic liberalization policies being implemented by many African economies have led to significant efficiency and performance improvements in the activities of privately owned enterprises. This study examines the effect of the economic liberalization policies on the entrepreneurial development of domestic-owned enterprises. This is done by examining how the type of enterprise ownership (wholly domestic-owned enterprises vs. foreign–domestic joint ventures enterprises), and the increase in competition affect the manufacturing priorities of privately owned enterprises in Ghana. The results show that the enhancement in manufacturing efficiency and quality improvement in privately owned enterprises could be traced to the activities of foreign–domestic joint venture enterprises. However, as market competition increases, wholly domestic-owned enterprises emphasize manufacturing efficiency and quality improvement more that foreign–domestic joint venture enterprises. Implications for policy are discussed.     

Difficult decisions on care and services for elderly people: the dilemma of setting priorities in the welfare state

The aging of the population combined with restricted economic resources is leading to an increasing gap between care needs and care resources. The first strategy to cope with this growing disparity is often the rather non-controversial attempt to optimize the use of the resources. At some point in time, however, more crucial decisions are needed. Four levels of decision-making in the system of care services may be identified - from decisions regarding national resource allocation to decisions regarding individual users. The different conditions for making decisions and setting priorities at each level must be considered when studying the decision-making process and the consequences - including the repercussions for other levels and sectors. With Sweden as a case, four trends in decision-making can be seen: decentralization of many controversial decisions; redefining of the lines of responsibility between sectors; increasing inequality in the accessibility, cost, and quality of care; and a general lack of public discussion and debate about central welfare issues.