Participation through care? The case of the Dutch housewife

In this chapter, the author analyses the caring labour of the Dutch housewife from a perspective which takes into account such factors as gender, participation and citizenship. She also analyses her activities in the social domains outside the work force, especially her work for her family, her participation in informal care-giving work and her activities within the community. The author considers the meaning of these activities in the context of civil society, suggesting how the traditional gender position of housewives relates to their citizenship status and rights and what the implications are for movements towards gender equality. She focuses on two problems raised by care-giving: The one concerning the combination of paid work and care-giving, the other concerning the balance of formal and informal care. A high level of tolerance, together with a strong division of household tasks and child care coexists with a severe lack of child-care facilities and a low rate of female participation in the labour market.