Gender, Family and Policy in East Asia

This book examines gender assumptions in family policies in East Asia, particularly in relation to work-family balance. Reconciling paid and unpaid work has become an important issue for academics and policymakers in Western welfare states, but in East Asian countries it has received little attention. Using data from qualitative interviews, this book explores the lived experiences of women balancing work and family in Korea and China. It also examines the development of work-family balance policies in both countries and suggests that there remains room for improvement despite recent reforms.