Monika Mischke
Types of Public Family Support: A Cluster Analysis of 15 European Countries

Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 2011: 13, issue 4, pp. 443-456

Departing from Korpi’s distinction between dual earner and general family support (Korpi 2000), this paper uses recent family policy indicators to detect types of public family support in the European Union. Using cluster-analytical tools and including a wide set of countries and indicators, the chosen approach allows for capturing pluralistic policy orientations. Results suggest five distinct family policy clusters: a general family support cluster, a dual earner support cluster, a pluralistic policy cluster, and two low support clusters. In a second step, the suggested solution is validated using the clusters as a framework to explain international variation in female labor-market participation, fertility, gender equality, and child poverty.