Working and Mothering in Sweden and Ukraine. The case of lone mothers.

Abstract: This thesis discusses social welfare systems in Ukraine and in Sweden with focus on working and mothering reconciliation for the category of lone mothers. The theories applied in the thesis include welfare and care regimes, citizenship perspective, care culture and care packaging. Using analysis of interviews and of social policies in both countries, the author comes to some concluding remarks. While in the Swedish case it seems easier to categorize the country according to social welfare typology, the Ukrainian case is complicated and ambiguous with ‘double burden’ and ‘child penalties’ for women. The author shows that in Ukraine the role of the family in working and mothering reconciliation seems to be more important than the role of the state, when in Sweden is vice versa. The Ukrainian interviews point to an image of the ‘absent father’. The citizenship entitlements in Sweden are based on employment, but full-time parenthood for one year still guarantees decent living standard. In Ukraine citizenship entitlements are based on motherhood to a greater extent, but it does not provide women with enough economic security, especially in the case of lone mothers.