Empirical research that describes ways to best handle social problems concerning families Leading authorities' studies show that from the effects of globalization many social and family problems and their solutions tend to be similar in nations world-wide. "Families and Social Policy: National and International Perspectives" explores the latest research on the impact of government policy or lack of policy on family life in various developed and developing nations around the world. Leading experts present and analyze strong empirical research on the common issues confronting families caused by effective and ineffective social policies around the world. This text illuminates the many complexities of various problems to shine a valuable light on what may be effective policy for the world. Families and Social Policy presents multiple perspectives on the profound family and social issues triggered by political policies. Timely data-driven research on family policy, welfare, and work policy issues highlight the comparative analyses between nations and common family problems. Family responsibility issues, childcare, and welfare are explored from both micro and macro perspectives. Useful tables clearly present empirical data. Extensive references are provided for each chapter. Topics in "Families and Social Policy" include: the impact of job loss on families; poor families in the welfare system; consequences of policies based on false assumptions; the impact of globalization on child care; the impact of child support and custody laws on fathers; fathers and parental leave; elder care in government policy; government support in family care of dependents; a case study for paid leave to care for newborns; social policy influence on women's fertility decisions; policies supportive of maternal employment; a cross-national exploration of family policies; leave and daycare policies in Poland and the Czech Republic after the fall of communism; childcare policy in Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom; Norway's gender equality, work load, and family dynamics policies; and the persistent traditional gender divide and more! "Families and Social Policy" comprehensively examines the effects of the political process on family life in developed and developing nations, making it stimulating, informative reading for upper-level undergraduate students, graduate students, academic researchers, policymakers, journalists, and independent scholars.