Family interdependencies : partnerships, parenthood and well-being in context

This research adopted a life course perspective to provide new insights into the relation between family interdependencies and well-being. In four quantitative studies, it examined how partnerships and parenthood affect people’s well-being and how this is dependent on the national context.
The first study examined the relation between marriage and men’s wages across countries.
The second study focused on the relation between partnerships and health and its dependence on the country context.
In the third study the effect of motherhood on women’s earnings was examined for Dutch women.
The fourth study looked at the relation between working hours and happiness for men and women in dual earner couples, with a partial focus on the impact of the country of residence.
The results of the four studies showed that family interdependencies are intricately linked to social inequalities and that this relation is indeed shaped by the country in which people live.