Operationalizing De-commodification and De-familization Outcomes via the Relative Poverty Approach: An Application to Western European Countries

Abstract

This article develops an approach with which to operationalise the outcomes of de-commodification and de-familisation processes. Since the de-commodification and defamilisation concepts share an emphasis on 'a socially acceptable standard of living for individuals' with the notion of relative poverty, the income-poverty indicator has been adopted to develop pertinent national rates. In particular, since de-commodification outcomes concern people with a socially acceptable standard of living independently of sale of their labour power, the national proportions of individuals with an equivalised disposable income above the poverty threshold who have stopped working have been accounted for. On the other hand, given that de-familisation outcomes regard individuals with a socially acceptable standard of living aside from family relationships, the national percentages of persons who actually live alone, or simulated as living alone, with an equivalised disposable income above the poverty threshold have been considered. Moreover, exploiting the equivalised disposable income computation, pertinent micro-simulations are developed to capture the role of the state and the family in de-commodification outcomes, and the contribution of the market and the state to de-familisation outcomes. On the basis of the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions, an empirical application of this approach is then provided. Specifically, data for 16 European countries were used to compute the abovementioned national rates. Furthermore, we checked whether our outcome figures exhibited any correspondence with the country-groups deriving from the classic welfare regime typologies or more in general with the measures resulting from the social policy structure.

Developing a ‘defamilisation framework’ to examine the strategies for promoting the adult worker model and women’s welfare in eight European countries

“…There is also a view that not all children prefer to receive ECEC; some may wish to receive informal care from their parents (Chau and Yu, 2022). Coupled with more and more discussions of the adult worker model, an expanding volume of defamilisation studies has emerged (Kroger, 2011; Kurowska, 2018; Lohmann and Zagel, 2016; Podesta and Marzadro, 2017). Defamilisation studies raise concerns about how to increase people’s opportunities of choosing their ways of responding to family relationships.…”

Familization risks, defamilization risks and older women

“…Over the past two decades, there has been an expanding volume of familization and defamilization studies (Bambra, 2007;Daly, 2011;Israel and Spannagel, 2018;Izuhara and Forrest, 2013;Kroger, 2011;Kurowska, 2018;Leitner, 2003;Lister, 1997;Lohamnn and Zagel, 2016;Mathieu, 2016;McLaughlin and Glendinning, 1994;Podesta and Marzadro, 2017;Saxonberg, 2013). These studies raise concerns about the negative effects on the welfare of individuals (mainly women) whose participation and non-participation in the family is to various degrees against their will.…”