Parental Leave in Sweden : Motives, Experiences, and Gender Equality amongst Parents

Abstract

The study explores similarities and differences in motives, experiences and gender equality between parents regarding paid parental leave. Interviews were made with 16 heterosexual couples, drawn from 4 Swedish municipalities: 2 in each of the 2 counties with the widest difference in fathers’ paid parental leave usage. Extensive campaigns encouraging fathers to take paid parental in the northern county during the 1990s may have contributed to this difference. Data was drawn from interviews in 2008; the analysis was inspired by grounded theory. Fathers tend to have an increased child orientation, relating to change in hegemonic masculinity, and gender equality is more pronounced in child care than in household work. Lack of male networks and traditional division of household labor are more common in the low take-up municipalities.