Laurent Snoeckx

The influence of formal and informal support systems on the labour supply of divorced mothers

ABSTRACT In this article, we evaluate the effect of both formal and informal childcare support systems on the post-divorce labour supply of divorced mothers. To this end, we model the change in working hours before and after divorce by using a multilevel approach, estimating the impact of both micro- and macro-level determinants. Although we find empirical evidence for the hypothesis that a countrys institutional environment plays an important role in facilitating employment as a strategy for mothers to cope with their financial losses following partnership dissolution, our conclusion is that the change in labour supply is more responsive to the whole of a countrys family policies rather than to so-called ‘domain-specific’ indicators of formal and informal childcare provision. Furthermore, our empirical evidence suggests that at the micro-level, formal and informal childcare strategies are connected. The complementary role of informal support systems, facilitating the use of formal childcare, is an important finding from a policy point of view. However, further research will have to make clear which conditions have to be fulfilled in order to help divorced mothers to combine work and care, thus enabling them to mitigate the economic consequences of partnership dissolution.

Cross-Regional Divorce Risks in Belgium: Culture or Legislative System?

Cross-national research is by definition carried out between different countries. Looking at country differences often results in common and diverse sets of divorce risks. This article uses a cross-national research perspective on divorce risks within a single country. Belgium is a special case in this respect. The division of the country in two regions with a different language and a quite different historical background often frightens researchers to include the country in large-scale international comparisons. We argue that Belgium is an interesting test case in international perspective since it combines—in a quasi-experimental setting—two important explanatory conditions for divorce risks on the macro level. First, Belgium is a unitary country with a single social security system, similar labor market characteristics, and a single family policy. Second, whereas the institutions between the northern and the southern part are similar, Belgium is culturally divided in a rather Catholic northern part (Flanders) and a secular southern part (Wallonia). This division is often referred to as a northern (Scandinavian) and a southern (Spain, Italy) cultural pattern. This means that when studying divorce patterns, we have the opportunity to examine the net effect of cultural determinants because of the similar feature of the institutional setting of both the Walloon and the Flemish part of the country.

Belgium: economic hardship despite elaborate childcare and leave time programmes

In recent decades the probability of divorce and separation among married and cohabiting couples has increased significantly in most European countries. Focusing on both economic and social aspects, this comprehensive volume explores the consequences of partnership dissolution at the individual level. The contributors use personal characteristics, properties of the partnerships and the institutional context to explain coping behaviours.