The Persistence in Gendering: Work-Family Policy in Britain since Beveridge

Abstract Understanding the historical policy pathways that have led to constellation of policies both reflect and shape current gender order can reveal reasons for persistence inequality in paid work unpaid family care. Bringing together existing research critique with Carol Bacchi’s framework as ‘gendering practices’, this paper focuses on role a process constructs upholds an unequal order. The discussion traces how UK social since establishment post-war welfare state articulated positioned gendered possibilities combining childrearing, shaping classed work-family life courses. analysis illustrates British has not been consistently committed more equal regime but instead maintained heteronormative ideal thus, despite various changes, gendering ‘the worker’ parent’ conceptualised persisted over last several decades.