Policy as normative influence? On the relationship between parental leave policy and social norms in gender division of childcare across 48 countries
Journal article
Schindler, Simon, Schuster, Carolin, Olsson, Maria I. T., Froehlich, Laura, Hübner, Ann-Kathrin, Block, Katharina, Van Laar, Colette, Schmader, Toni, Meeussen, Loes, van Grootel, Sanne, Croft, Alyssa, Sun, Molly Shuyi, Ainsaar, Mare, Aarntzen, Lianne, Adamus, Magdalena, Anderson, Joel, Atkinson, Ciara, Avicenna, Mohamad, Bąbel, Przemysław, ... Martiny, Sarah E.. (2025). Policy as normative influence? On the relationship between parental leave policy and social norms in gender division of childcare across 48 countries. British Journal of Social Psychology. 64(2), p. Article e12806. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12806
Authors | Schindler, Simon, Schuster, Carolin, Olsson, Maria I. T., Froehlich, Laura, Hübner, Ann-Kathrin, Block, Katharina, Van Laar, Colette, Schmader, Toni, Meeussen, Loes, van Grootel, Sanne, Croft, Alyssa, Sun, Molly Shuyi, Ainsaar, Mare, Aarntzen, Lianne, Adamus, Magdalena, Anderson, Joel, Atkinson, Ciara, Avicenna, Mohamad, Bąbel, Przemysław, Barth, Markus, Benson-Greenwald, Tessa, Maloku, Edona, Berent, Jacques, Bergsieker, Hilary B., Biernat, Monica, Birneanu, Andreea, Bodinaku, Blerta, Bosak, Janine, Bosson, Jennifer, Branković, Marija, Burkauskas, Julius, Čavojová, Vladimíra, Cheryan, Sapna, Choi, Eunsoo, Choi, Incheol, Contreras-Ibáñez, Carlos C., Coogan, Andrew, Danyliuk, Ivan, Dar-Nimrod, Ilan, Dasgupta, Nilanjana, de Lemus, Soledad, Devos, Thierry, Diab, Marwan, Diekman, Amanda B., Efremova, Maria, Eisner, Léïla, Eller, Anja, Erentaite, Rasa, Fedáková, Denisa, Franc, Renata, Gartzia, Leire, Gavreliuc, Alin, Gavreliuc, Dana, Gecaite-Stonciene, Julija, Germano, Adriana L., Giovannelli, Ilaria, Gismondi Diaz, Renzo, Gitikhmayeva, Lyudmila, Gizaw, Abiy Menkir, Gjoneska, Biljana, González, Omar Martínez, González, Roberto, Grijalva, Isaac David, Güngör, Derya, Gustafsson Sendén, Marie, Hall, William, Harb, Charles, Hassan, Bushra, Hässler, Tabea, Hawi, Diala R., Henningsen, Levke, Hoppe, Annedore, Ishii, Keiko, Jakšić, Ivana, Jasini, Alba, Jurkevičienė, Jurgita, Kelmendi, Kaltrina, Kirby, Teri A., Kitakaji, Yoko, Kosakowska-Berezecka, Natasza, Kozytska, Inna, Kulich, Clara, Kundtová-Klocová, Eva, Kunuroglu, Filiz, Aidy, Christina Lapytskaia, Lee, Albert, Lindqvist, Anna, López-López, Wilson, Luzvinda, Liany, Maricchiolo, Fridanna, Martinot, Delphine, McNamara, Rita Anne, Meister, Alyson, Melka, Tizita Lemma, Mickuviene, Narseta, Miranda-Orrego, María Isabel, Mkamwa, Thadeus, Morandini, James, Morton, Thomas, Mrisho, David, Nikitin, Jana, Otten, Sabine, Pacilli, Maria Giuseppina, Page-Gould, Elizabeth, Perandrés-Gómez, Ana, Pizarro, Jon, Pop-Jordanova, Nada, Pyrkosz-Pacyna, Joanna, Quta, Sameir, Ramis, TamilSelvan, Rani, Nitya, Redersdorff, Sandrine, Régner, Isabelle, Renström, Emma A., Rivera-Rodriguez, Adrian, Esmeralda, Rocha-Sánchez Tania, Ryabichenko, Tatiana, Saab, Rim, Sakata, Kiriko, Samekin, Adil, Sánchez-Pacheco, Tracy, Scheifele, Carolin, Schulmeyer, Marion K., Sczesny, Sabine, Sirlopú, David, Smith-Castro, Vanessa, Soo, Kadri, Spaccatini, Federica, Steele, Jennifer R., Steffens, Melanie C., Sucic, Ines, Vandello, Joseph, Velásquez-Díaz, Laura Maria, Vink, Melissa, Vives, Eva, Warkineh, Turuwark Zalalam, Žeželj, Iris, Zhang, Xiaoxiao, Zhao, Xian, Koc, Yasin, Kocak, Ömer Erdem and Martiny, Sarah E. |
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Abstract | In the present work, we addressed the relationship between parental leave policies and social norms. Using a pre-registered, cross-national approach, we examined the relationship between parental leave policies and the perception of social norms for the gender division of childcare. In this study, 19,259 students (11,924 women) from 48 countries indicated the degree to which they believe childcare is (descriptive norm) and should be (prescriptive norm) equally divided among mothers and fathers. Policies were primarily operationalized as the existence of parental leave options in the respective country. The descriptive and prescriptive norms of equal division of childcare were stronger when parental leave was available in a country – also when controlling for potential confounding variables. Moreover, analyses of time since policy change suggested that policy change may initially affect prescriptive norms and then descriptive norms at a later point. However, due to the cross-sectional nature of the data, drawing causal inferences is difficult. |
Keywords | childcare; gender inequality; parental leave; policy; social norms |
Year | 2025 |
Journal | British Journal of Social Psychology |
Journal citation | 64 (2), p. Article e12806 |
Publisher | John Wiley & Sons Ltd |
ISSN | 0144-6665 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12806 |
PubMed ID | 39439425 |
Scopus EID | 2-s2.0-85207005964 |
Page range | 1-24 |
Funder | Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) |
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) | |
National Research University Higher School of Economics | |
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) | |
State Research Agency (AEI), Spain | |
Guangdong Province Philosophy and Social Science Planning Project | |
National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) | |
Masaryk University | |
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) | |
Center for Social Conflict and Cohesion Studies | |
Center for Intercultural and Indigenous Research | |
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) | |
Slovak Research and Development Agency | |
Canada Research Chairs Program | |
Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, Province of Ontario | |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 13 Jun 2025 |
Grant ID | SCHU 3362/2-1 |
430-2018-00361 | |
435-2014-1247 | |
ES/S00274X/1 | |
PID2019-111549GB-I00 | |
GD20CXL06 | |
31600912 | |
P1ZHP1_184553 | |
P500PS_206546 | |
P2LAP1_194987 | |
15130009 | |
15110006 | |
756-2017-0249 | |
APVV 20-0319 | |
152583 | |
140649 | |
152655 | |
Additional information | © 2024 British Psychological Society. |
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/91z24/policy-as-normative-influence-on-the-relationship-between-parental-leave-policy-and-social-norms-in-gender-division-of-childcare-across-48-countries
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