This publication is an element of the Council of Europe's recent work in the field of positive parenting leading up To The Committee of Ministers' Recommendation Rec (2006) 19 on policy to support positive parenting. The authors review and analyse the major changes affecting parenting in Europe, arising from legal situations, research and practice. This work addresses the core issues related to positive parenting and non-violent upbringing, with particular emphasis on parents' entitlement to support from the state in carrying out their parental tasks. Five themes are focused upon: The legal situation And The results of research: what it means to be a parent according To The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, The Council of Europe and new scientific knowledge; current thinking on the use of violence and corporal punishment against children; responses to family policy, especially in terms of support programs and services for parenting and families; the particular problems and needs of parents and children in situations of social exclusion; And The relationship between parenting and drug-related behavior among children and teenagers. The book also includes the text of the Recommendation Rec(2006)19, "Keys for parents" and "Guidelines for professionals.

ÔFinally, here is a book that provides a long-overdue holistic analysis of childcare. Written in a clear style, The Costs of Children breaks new ground in demonstrating how political choices about childcare have different impacts on equality of opportunity in Europe. After reading this book, one never again will view childcare as a private concern. It is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the realities of European integration, democratic policy-making and the gendered consequences of bearing and rearing children.Õ Ð Yvonne Galligan, QueenÕs University Belfast, UK This informative book explores the fair allocation of the costs of childcare in European countries and suggests that greater choice is required to reduce the current tendency to discriminate against mothers. The expert contributors provide an assessment of how countries can handle the fair allocation of the costs of childcare. They look at the experience within Europe in recent years and show in particular how these interrelate with the objectives of improving income, employment and social inclusion. The bookÕs conclusion reveals that choice is the key ingredient as families have different views and different degrees of support available from their relatives. Income and social inclusion can provide choice but ironically employment does not always. An employment-based model can sometimes narrow peopleÕs choices, particularly for people on low wages. The major concern is that most existing systems effectively discriminate against mothers. This is the first book to consider the democratic implications of social welfare systems. It provides an up-to-date assessment of the pressures on parents in deciding how to raise their children under restricted incomes. For many families, practical decisions about childcare are found at a local level. These will depend on the immediate factors that affect them, such as the availability of local nurseries or a family's ability to draw on voluntary networks of support. What is clear, however, is that many of these arrangements discriminate against women. Researchers and practitioners in the field of social policy and childcare in particular will find this book insightful. Graduate students of social policy will also find some practical examples to make their courses more relevant.

Through a global, multidisciplinary perspective, this book describes how four factors influence parenting practices: a countries historical and political background, the parent’s educational history, the economy and the parent’s financial standing, and advances in technology. Case studies that illustrate the impact these four factors have on parents in various regions help us better understand parenting in today’s global, interconnected world. Descriptions of parenting practices in countries from Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean give readers a contemporary perspective. Both research and clinical implications when working with families from various cultures are integrated throughout. Part I reviews the four major factors that shape parenting practices. Part II features cases written by contributors with extensive experience in parenting practice and research that bring to life the ways in which these four factors influence parenting within their region. Each chapter in Part II follows the same format to provide consistency for comparative purposes: an introduction, historical and political, economic, educational, and societal factors and parenting practices, and a conclusion. Each case reviews: Historical and political factors such as slavery, war, and natural disasters and how these factors impact cultural beliefs, parenting behaviors, and a child’s development Economic factors which impact the capacity for consistent, involved parenting which can result in low IQ, behavioral problems, depression, and domestic conflict and the need to account for financial factors when developing intervention programs Educational levels impact on parenting practices and their children’s achievements Advances in technology and its impact on parenting practices. Intended for graduate or advanced undergraduate courses in families in global context, immigrant families, family or public policy, multiculturalism or cross-cultural psychology, social or cultural development, counseling, social work, or international development taught in human development and family studies, psychology, social work, sociology, anthropology, racial studies, and international relations, this book also appeals to practitioners and researchers interested in family studies and child development and policy and program managers of governments, NGOs, and mental health agencies.

This collaborative study provides a subtle and multi-layered understanding of the transition to parenthood within a cross-national comparative framework.

This volume tackles key issues in the changing nature of family life from a global perspective, and is essential reading for those studying and working with families. Covers changes in couple relationships and the challenges these pose; parenting practices and their implications for child development; key contemporary global issues, such as migration, poverty, and the internet, and their impact on the family; and the role of the state in supporting family relationships Includes a stellar cast of international contributors such as Paul Amato and John Coleman, and contributions from leading experts based in North Africa, Japan, Australia and New Zealand Discusses topics such as cohabitation, divorce, single-parent households, same-sex partnerships, fertility, and domestic violence Links research and practice and provides policy recommendations at the end of each chapter

This volume addresses the relationship between childbearing, paid work and work-life balance policies across Europe in the 21st century, illuminating the uncertainty and risk related to insecure labour force attachment, the incoherence of women's and men's access to education and employment and the unequal share of domestic responsibilities.

This book debates the high impact modern societies have on the way we raise children. Although problems such as family dysfunction, work–family imbalance, and migration due to war, violence, and poverty are not new, their consequences for children’s well-being and mental health are aggravated by the lack of effective social support networks affecting many children and families living in contemporaneous urban areas. The proverb 'It takes a village to raise a child” is as valid now as it was in the early history of less complex communities. However, extended families and the social environment of villages have been substituted by a system of welfare and childcare institutions that, in many cases, fail to provide the appropriate care, education, and support the children need. Job-demanding competitive societies, where career achievement and wealth become the definition of success, force parents to the duality of choosing between family and career and depending on others to parent their children. Likewise, social inequality compels many parents to work in never-ending shifts that add to the hours they spend commuting to their workplaces. Sometimes, parents are forced to migrate, leaving their children behind. Children learn to survive in the absence of their parents and to deal with small or inexistent parental emotional investment. The parent-child relationship and attachment necessities are impacted in ways that will affect children for the rest of their lives. Alternatively, migrant children accompanying their parents to a new host country may feel the shock of a normative society with cultural values different from the ones they left behind. Parenting behaviour and style may then be considered inappropriate, challenging parents’ ability to educate and pass their values to the offspring. This book is an academic reflection on these controversies.