Lone Mothers and Long Hours. Gender and work in a new welfare regime.

The idea of a work–family ‘balance’ has emerged as a major issue in both research and politics in Europe. While lone mothers make up a substantial part of families with children, Swedish research on the family–work nexus has mainly focused on dual-parent families. Little is known about lone mothers’ reconciliation of caring responsibilities and paid work. This research project aims to fill this lacuna by exploring how lone mothers from various social backgrounds balance family commitments and work. By critically engaging in debates on recent developments in working life, i.e. on increased flexibility, we also hope to contribute to increased knowledge of intersections between ongoing changes in family patterns and working life. ‘Flexible employment’ has been suggested as a means to achieve a work–family balance. This project will explore in what ways ´flexibility´ affects lone mothers´ possibilities of reconciling family responsibilities and a job. To provide insight into the day-to-day practices and experiences of working lone mothers, we will conduct in-depth interviews with forty women of different occupational classes.