History, Values, and Traditions
Values & TraditionsAustria is a conservative and traditional welfare state.
Austria was founded as a
Catholic nation. This religious affiliation is the
root of much of the traditional values that Austrian policies reflect. The traditional values that Austrian ideals are based on are that of the female as
the homemaker and the male as the breadwinner.These views cause housework in
Austria to be quite gendered, with women shouldering the largest amount of
responsibility. The traditional gender ideologies that have been in the society
from the beginning and have determined the division of labor in Austria. These
values can be seen in Austrian policy through the years.
Catholic nation. This religious affiliation is the
root of much of the traditional values that Austrian policies reflect. The traditional values that Austrian ideals are based on are that of the female as
the homemaker and the male as the breadwinner.These views cause housework in
Austria to be quite gendered, with women shouldering the largest amount of
responsibility. The traditional gender ideologies that have been in the society
from the beginning and have determined the division of labor in Austria. These
values can be seen in Austrian policy through the years.Labor market policies in Austria have been constantly
changing since the 1970’s. In the 1970’s, Austria had a well-developed social
policy that provided benefits to support the female caretaker. In 1975,
Austrian female labor force participation was 48 percent. This percentage
ranked higher than that of other conservative welfare states but lagged behind
the more social democratic welfare states. To put this number in perspective,
at this time, the United States had 53 percent of women engaged in the labor
force. In the 1980’s, a budget deficit arose, but employment remained relatively
high. Due to the deficit, government money was shifted away from managing
unemployment and towards fixing the budget deficit. In 1987, a privatization
program was enacted, allowing for 49 percent private ownership of industries.
The 1990’s saw more budget consolidation and with it, the reduction of the
family assistance scheme and the complete end of the birth assistance allowance
scheme. In 2002 policies were revised into two main programs, Childcare Benefit
and parental leave.
References:
Geist, Claudia. 2005. "The Welfare State and the Home: Regime Differences in the Domestic Division of Labour." European Sociological Review 21(1):23-41.
Heineck, Guido. 2004. “Religion, Attitudes towards Working Mothers and Wives’ Full-time Employment.” Austrian Institute for Family Studies. 3-26.
Unger, Brigitte and Karin Heitzmann. 2003. "The Adjustment Path of the Austrian Welfare State: Back to Bismarck?" Journal of European Social Policy 13(4):371-387.
Geist, Claudia. 2005. "The Welfare State and the Home: Regime Differences in the Domestic Division of Labour." European Sociological Review 21(1):23-41.
Heineck, Guido. 2004. “Religion, Attitudes towards Working Mothers and Wives’ Full-time Employment.” Austrian Institute for Family Studies. 3-26.
Unger, Brigitte and Karin Heitzmann. 2003. "The Adjustment Path of the Austrian Welfare State: Back to Bismarck?" Journal of European Social Policy 13(4):371-387.
