STATE OF ART IN GREEK FAMILY

HOW GENDER ROLES INFLUENCE THE UPGRINGING OF CHILDERN

FACTSFACTS

Couples with children: 89.1%Couples with children: 89.1% Married couples with two children: 42.3%Married couples with two children: 42.3%

Highest percentages in Europe Highest percentages in Europe

Low divorce rates and low percentage of births outside Low divorce rates and low percentage of births outside marriage marriage

Lowest percentages in Europe Lowest percentages in Europe

Source: (Greek family from a comparative perspective, Papadopoulos 1996)Source: (Greek family from a comparative perspective, Papadopoulos 1996)

MEANING…MEANING…

Strong attachment of Greeks to family Strong attachment of Greeks to family

Greeks are supportive of the institution of Greeks are supportive of the institution of familyfamily

Top priority on the value scale Top priority on the value scale

The activity rate of married women aged The activity rate of married women aged between 25 and 49 years old is the lowest in between 25 and 49 years old is the lowest in

EUEU

Female part time employment :Female part time employment :

8,4 % of total female employment 8,4 % of total female employment

Eu average: 31.3 %Eu average: 31.3 %

Greek Female unemployment higher than the Greek Female unemployment higher than the EU average of 12, 5 % EU average of 12, 5 %

STATISTICSSTATISTICS

A pattern of dependency and power relationships among the members of family emerges

*Source: Eurostat

There is still the belief that the public sphere of work and There is still the belief that the public sphere of work and the private sphere of family constitutes two different the private sphere of family constitutes two different

spheres spheres

This means that This means that Men are engaged mostly in public sphereMen are engaged mostly in public sphere Women are engaged mostly in private sphereWomen are engaged mostly in private sphere

A series of ideological changes have taken place A series of ideological changes have taken place in respect of the social roles within the familyin respect of the social roles within the family

Have influenced gender roles within and outside Have influenced gender roles within and outside the householdthe household

Transition of extended family system to nuclear Transition of extended family system to nuclear family system family system

Shift from traditional gender roles to more Shift from traditional gender roles to more egalitarian gender roles within the householdegalitarian gender roles within the household

Increase of women’s participation in labor Increase of women’s participation in labor market market

CHANGES DURING CHANGES DURING THE YEARSTHE YEARS

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND INFORMATIONINFORMATION

In Greece, the family represents the central social institution In Greece, the family represents the central social institution and provider of social support.  and provider of social support. 

Greece is dominated by traditional family roles and Greece is dominated by traditional family roles and households, and seems to have the strongest attachment to households, and seems to have the strongest attachment to the traditional family type out of all European countries. the traditional family type out of all European countries. 

Within these families, specifically working-class families, the Within these families, specifically working-class families, the household structure has been associated with gender household structure has been associated with gender relations within the family.  relations within the family. 

In other words, families aim for secure control within the In other words, families aim for secure control within the family by orienting different family members to different tasks family by orienting different family members to different tasks according to gender division of roles inside the family.  according to gender division of roles inside the family. 

Men are expected to take on jobs that make them the main Men are expected to take on jobs that make them the main income earner. income earner.

Women are expected to be secondary income earners, Women are expected to be secondary income earners, placing household duties as their priority. placing household duties as their priority. 

In creating this separation of gender roles, women become In creating this separation of gender roles, women become the sole caretaker of children and elderly family members.the sole caretaker of children and elderly family members.

GENDER ROLES IN FAMILYGENDER ROLES IN FAMILYResearch Findings* Research Findings*

“THE PROOF”“THE PROOF”

*Background of the research:Methodology: Quantitative ResearchSample: Primary Scholl Children (25 boys – 30 girls)Source: ‘The science of Education on line’, Vol 1,Issue 2,(1998)

What it was investigated:What it was investigated: Distribution of tasks in Distribution of tasks in

familyfamily Whether boys and girls Whether boys and girls

have different have different perceptions for sexes in perceptions for sexes in regards to the regards to the distribution of family distribution of family tasks tasks

Which gender dominates Which gender dominates in the decision making in the decision making process of the family process of the family

Findings:Findings: There is an explicit There is an explicit

segregation in male and segregation in male and female activitiesfemale activities

Sovereign role of man is Sovereign role of man is that of the breadwinnerthat of the breadwinner

Woman’s role is the one Woman’s role is the one of the caring person of the caring person cause of the specific cause of the specific distribution of tasksdistribution of tasks

Both sexes are faced Both sexes are faced differently by boys and differently by boys and girls ,as far as their girls ,as far as their social behavior is social behavior is concernedconcerned

Man seems to be the Man seems to be the strongest image for both strongest image for both girls and boysgirls and boys

THE REALITYTHE REALITY

Greece has long been a place of traditional gender roles Greece has long been a place of traditional gender roles and STILL IS:and STILL IS:

Men and women have distinct roles both within the Men and women have distinct roles both within the home and without. home and without.

Men are expected to work outside the home for money, Men are expected to work outside the home for money, or if they have a family business, the work that men do or if they have a family business, the work that men do is considered most important. is considered most important.

Women are largely expected to stay at home, care for Women are largely expected to stay at home, care for the family, and work in jobs that are considered more the family, and work in jobs that are considered more marginal and less important than men's jobs by family marginal and less important than men's jobs by family members as well as many of the members of the larger members as well as many of the members of the larger society. society.

This arrangement has lead to a widespread gender This arrangement has lead to a widespread gender inequality that hinders the family’s attempts to move inequality that hinders the family’s attempts to move

forward and to educate children in more anti-forward and to educate children in more anti-stereotype processstereotype process

Men taking the leadMen taking the lead

Need to play a more pro-active role as fathers and Need to play a more pro-active role as fathers and home-makershome-makers

Attitudinal changesAttitudinal changes More flexible working time arrangementsMore flexible working time arrangements

Redistribution of personal timeRedistribution of personal time

WHAT CAN BE DONEWHAT CAN BE DONE

Family protection measuresFamily protection measures

Better public nurseries under Local AuthoritiesBetter public nurseries under Local Authorities More children’s Creative Occupation Centers More children’s Creative Occupation Centers More private baby farms More private baby farms Better and more state –owned Kindergardens Better and more state –owned Kindergardens

(regular and day-long)(regular and day-long) More day long elementary schools More day long elementary schools

New models of workNew models of work

From the supervision to the coordination of workFrom the supervision to the coordination of work From regular working hours to the individual From regular working hours to the individual

organization of workorganization of work From hierarchically-organized to Project and Team-From hierarchically-organized to Project and Team-

Oriented workOriented work From vocational education to life long learning From vocational education to life long learning

Entrepreneurial equality plansEntrepreneurial equality plans

Increase of workerIncrease of worker’’s satisfactions satisfaction Reservation of professional evolutionReservation of professional evolution Balance between work and family, resulting in the Balance between work and family, resulting in the

development of a working environment of high development of a working environment of high performance, worker-friendly and especially performance, worker-friendly and especially women-friendly.women-friendly.

Higher support of governmental policiesHigher support of governmental policies

The lack of support reflects and reproduces certain The lack of support reflects and reproduces certain attitudes with regard to family institution and its’ attitudes with regard to family institution and its’

processes processes

The effective combination of The effective combination of the above ‘measures’ the above ‘measures’

presupposespresupposes the existencethe existence

of guarding and educating of guarding and educating children structureschildren structures

For More Information: For More Information:

www.dimitra.grwww.dimitra.gr

George PETROU