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Work-life balance (WLB) represents a fundamental part of people's well-being and is a key policy priority at national and organizational levels in many industrialized countries. Yet a significant gap exists in our understanding of employees' ability to use WLB arrangements, particularly employees without children. We address this gap by exploring the perceived deservingness of childfree employees to use WLB arrangements in Italy and the Netherlands. Using a 2 x 2 experimental design, we study the perceived deservingness of childfree people to use organisational work-life balance arrangements compared to parents, with a particular focus on gender and country differences. We further investigate the attribution of priority to make use of work-life balance arrangements across these same groups. While we find no significant differences in perceptions of deservingness, the results do show significant differences in who is considered to need priority in using WLB arrangements in the workplace. Respondents attribute greater priority to female employees with children than female employees without children. The attribution of priority for male employees does not differ between parents and childfree employees. This interaction effect was only found in the Italian sample. We discuss the implications of our results for our understanding of work-life balance policy supports.

In 2015, the inflow of immigrants to Europe increased dramatically. More than 1 million people fled from wars and conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, particularly affecting transit countries along the Western Balkan route. Of all the transit countries, the Hungarian government was particularly vocal in its negative attitude towards immigrants, launching several anti-immigration campaigns which had a detrimental effect on residents’ hostility towards these immigrants. In this study, we focus on the mechanisms behind this increased hostility in a transit-country context by combining insights from integrated-threat theory and contact theory. We find that perceptions of realistic and symbolic threat increased negative attitudes towards immigrants. Importantly, these threat perceptions were shaped by people’s positions in society and personal circumstances, in combination with their contact with immigrants. Specifically, in the harsh and negative Hungarian context, contact negatively influenced threat perceptions, especially amongst people who were at risk of experiencing negative consequences supposedly caused by the influx of immigrants. This in-depth country case study emphasises the importance of contextualising research findings on attitudes towards immigration in a broader social and political context.

Evidence on the role of occupational differences in subjective working conditions during the pandemic is limited. However, an understanding of how such inequalities develop throughout the pandemic is needed to prevent an overall worsening of social inequality in society. We study occupational inequalities in subjective working conditions—work pressure and work-life balance—throughout the pandemic. We use four waves of the representative, probability-based COVID Gender (In)equality Survey Netherlands (COGIS-NL), collected between April 2020 and November 2020 in The Netherlands. The results show that higher work pressure is reported during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic, particularly among managers and professionals and white-collar workers. Occupational differences are also found in the probability of having difficulty combining work and care during the pandemic, with managers and professionals most likely to report having difficulty. These differences are no longer evident after controlling for respondent and job characteristics. This longitudinal evidence on occupational differences in subjective working conditions within the working population contributes to a better understanding of social inequalities arising and developing throughout the pandemic.

Undocumented migrants (UMs) in the Netherlands face significant barriers to accessing healthcare despite legal entitlements to 'necessary medical care.' Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) play a critical role in facilitating healthcare access for UMs, yet empirical research on their specific contributions remains limited. This study aims to explore how NGOs perceive their role in facilitating healthcare access for UMs in the Netherlands and how these perceptions align with their actual practices. The research employs a qualitative exploratory design, conducting twelve semi-structured interviews with professionals from various NGOs supporting UMs. Thematic analysis was used to identify key roles and strategies employed by these organisations. The data revealed four main roles: 1) mediating, 2) educating, 3) advocating, and 4) delivering services. The findings suggest that while Dutch NGOs appear to share a common goal of facilitating healthcare access for UMs within the existing Dutch healthcare system, some of their strategies happen outside of the regular system, thereby creating a parallel system. Consequently, there seems to be a discrepancy between how NGOs perceive themselves (i.e., the role they think they should take) and the role they play in practice. The Dutch NGOs in this study face a humanitarian-equity dilemma, where limited resources and high pressure from UMs’ immediate needs, lead them to prioritize direct assistance over addressing systemic issues. Consequently, many NGO strategies offer temporary solutions that help individual cases but fail to sustainably integrate UMs into the regular healthcare system. To increase lasting change, NGOs should focus more on educational and advocacy roles and collaborate to reduce costs and enhance effectiveness. This strategic shift is essential for creating sustainable solutions that ensure UMs are included in the regular healthcare system and uphold the principles of equity and justice.

This thesis investigates the combination of work and care within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Dutch energy sector. Despite an increase in female labor market participation, women remain underrepresented in this sector, while gender diversity is crucial to the transition to renewable energy. The study aims to understand how managers in these SMEs perceive and manage work-care integration, a critical factor for enhancing gender diversity and fostering an inclusive workplace. Using a qualitative research design, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with managers across various SMEs. Thematic analysis revealed five themes: 1) perceptions of work and care; 2) challenges in combining work and care; 3) the perceived impact on work performance and employee retention, 4) positive aspects of facilitating work and care; and 5) the importance of leadership and culture in facilitating work and care. The findings reveal a gap between theoretical expectations and practical realities within SMEs. Initially, managers did not recognize work-care integration as a pressing issue, but deeper reflections during interviews highlighted its prevalence. The research underscores that while SMEs often rely on ad-hoc solutions rather than formal policies, a lack of managerial awareness and formal support mechanisms persists. The masculine culture prevalent in the energy sector exacerbates these challenges, potentially limiting the effectiveness of work-care integration strategies and reinforcing traditional norms. The study concludes that bridging the gap between theory and practice requires heightened awareness and the development of more inclusive organizational cultures. Recommendations include fostering a workplace culture that values work-life balance and explicitly acknowledging informal caregivers as a distinct group. Additionally, industry- specific best practices should be shared to address the diverse needs of SMEs and enhance support for work-care integr

This study focuses on the issue of gender-based violence (GBV) in Italy, focusing on the prevalence and underlying factors of this phenomenon, with a specific focus on the role of media in shaping public perceptions and behaviours. Drawing on feminist theory, media framing theory, and the concept of sensationalism, the research uncovers how media representations contribute to the normalisation and perpetuation of GBV. The feminist theory and concept of intersectionality provide a framework for understanding how interconnected social categorisations shape experiences of oppression and privilege. The media framing theory approach examines how media coverage influences societal attitudes by presenting information through specific frames that can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and reinforce power dynamics. Whereas the concept of sensationalism addresses how dramatic and emotional reporting can misrepresent GBV cases, focusing on shocking elements rather than systemic issues. This study employs a descriptive-qualitative approach and critical news framing analysis, analysing recent femicide cases reported in La Repubblica to identify dominant frames and narratives. Findings showed that media often uses sensational language and dramatic portrayals, emphasising gruesome details and personal backgrounds that humanise perpetrators and overshadow victims' identities. This reporting style risks normalising aggressive behaviours and reinforcing ethnic stereotypes, detracting from a comprehensive discussion of the systemic nature of GBV. Moreover, the research underscores the potential for change, highlighting the need for ethical reporting guidelines, journalist training programs, and collaboration with NGOs and researchers to promote responsible journalism.

This thesis explores the concept of trust in the police, focusing on defining trust and its related constructs, trustworthiness and confidence. Trust in the police is essential for effective law enforcement, promoting public cooperation, and reinforcing police legitimacy (Tankebe, 2010; Terpstra, 2011; Tyler, 2006a) . The study emphasizes the interconnected yet distinct aspects of trust, trustworthiness, and confidence. Trust is defined as the willingness to be vulnerable to police judgment, trustworthiness refers to the characteristics and behaviors that render the police trustworthy, while confidence relates to expectations formed from past interactions (Jackson & Bradford, 2019; Jackson & Bradford, 2010; Tyler & Jackson, 2013). The literature review identifies significant terminological confusion and diverse operationalizations of trust. Procedural justice, which highlights fairness, respect, and transparent decision-making by police, stands out as a prevalent framework in research. Additionally, concepts such as distributive justice and police effectiveness are vital for understanding trustworthiness. Employing a scoping review methodology, the study systematically maps existing research to pinpoint gaps and inconsistencies in measuring trust in the police. This research contributes to the broader discourse on trust in the police by offering insights for developing more accurate and comprehensive measures. By clarifying the key concepts and their interrelated nature within research, the study aims to contribute to the efficacy of measuring trust in the police in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption is embedded in the Dutch culture, posing significant health risks and harm to Dutch society. Dutch health organizations address this serious problem through e.g. internal alcohol policies. For internal alcohol policies to be effective, attention is needed for implementing such policies as this process matters for employees’ perception and thus the ultimate success of the policy. METHOD: A qualitative design was used for this research by interviewing 5 KWF and 5 employees of the Hearth Foundation. The data was transcribed by the program Goodtape and was coded using the program Nvivo. Thematical analysis was used for contextualizing and interpreting the retrieved data. RESULTS: An overarching narrative emerged where all interviewees from the two health organizations viewed the implementation of the internal alcohol policy and its implementation as logical, understanding its importance for their organizations’ credibility and role model function. The prevalent social norm promoting a healthy lifestyle, including reduced alcohol consumption, largely explains the high acceptance and compliance with their internal alcohol policies, alongside recognitive justice. Despite low perceived procedural justice, acceptance and compliance were thus high, contradicting the existing theory that elements of procedural- and recognitive justice would be needed for acceptance and compliance of an internal alcohol policy. CONCLUSIONS: This research concluded that a healthy social norm regarding alcohol consumption appeared of greater importance than recognitive- and procedural justice for the success of the implementation process of an internal alcohol policy of health organizations. Most elements of recognitive justice, and to some extent the elements of procedural justice, had also a positive influence on the acceptance and compliance of internal alcohol policies in health organizations. However, it can be argued that those may be of greater importance in

Background: This study explored how adults living below the poverty line in the Netherlands value and experience their social networks and use them as a resource. Additionally, it examined whether social networks can be strengthened and the role professionals might play in this. There is a need for more research on utilizing and enhancing social networks. Understanding this is crucial as those living in poverty have lower social capital and wellbeing. The primary goal is to increase the social capital and wellbeing of Dutch adults in poverty. Methods: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to explore participants’ lived experiences and give them a voice. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with Dutch adults currently or previously living in poverty. A topic list guided the interviews also allowing participants to share their own stories. The data was analyzed through various steps in coding. Results: The lived experiences of the participants showed that their social networks are generally small, perceived as important and that the received support from it not always aligned with their needs. There is no need for professional support to strengthen their social networks but they desired understanding, recognition, and being taken seriously by both professionals and their social networks. Conclusions: Enhancing the wellbeing of those living in poverty requires professionals to approach them with involvement and recognition, being a fundamental human need. A stable financial foundation is essential to improve their capabilities to live a life they value. Recommendations for professionals include focusing on clients' lived experiences and needs, increasing transparency, and reducing procedural complexity. Additionally, the Dutch government should meet the financial basic needs of the population.

International institutions' attention to work-life balance (WLB) demonstrates the global breadth of this issue. Yet the scientific community has thus far paid little attention to its structural underpinnings and to the interplay between these macro-level underpinnings and individual psychological factors. We examine the contextual role of economic inequality at the national level as a significant factor influencing working time and WLB perceptions using multiple empirical strategies. In the first set of studies (1a and 1b), we compared countries with different levels of inequality (Study 1a with 37 countries, Study 1b with longitudinal data from 34 countries, N = 254) and found increased working time and reduced WLB in highly unequal countries. In a pilot study ( N = 81) and in the pre-registered Studies 2 ( N = 338) and 3 ( N = 499) we corroborated this evidence with an experimentally induced inequality perception, reporting an indirect effect of inequality on WLB (Studies 2 and 3) and working time (Study 3) through status anxiety and competitiveness. In Study 2, we manipulated socio-economic class in addition to economic inequality, showing that the detrimental effect of inequality on WLB is especially marked for participants assigned to a low-class condition. This research contributes to an integrated understanding of the impact of economic inequality and socio-economic class in shaping WLB and provides useful insights for organizations to develop context-specific policies to improve employees' WLB that take both individual and structural factors into account.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted work and family life around the world. For parents, this upending meant a potential re-negotiation of the ‘status quo’ in the gendered division of labour. A comparative lens provides extended understandings of changes in fathers’ domestic work based in socio-cultural context–in assessing the size and consequences of change in domestic labour in relation to the type of work-care regime. Using novel harmonized data from four countries (the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands) and a work-care regime framework, this study examines cross-national changes in fathers’ shares of domestic labour during the early months of the pandemic and whether these changes are associated with parents’ satisfaction with the division of labour. Results indicate that fathers’ shares of housework and childcare increased early in the pandemic in all countries, with fathers’ increased shares of housework being particularly pronounced in the US. Results also show an association between fathers’ increased shares of domestic labour and mothers’ increased satisfaction with the division of domestic labour in the US, Canada, and the UK. Such comparative work promises to be generative for understanding the pandemic’s imprint on gender relations far into the future.

26 februari 2023, Item does not contain fulltext

Item does not contain fulltext