Research Sarah Van de Velde

Abstract

Imagine getting post-doc time from us. Post-doc time with the sole obligation to prepare a post-doc proposal to apply for – and ideally obtain - your own research grant. The Centre for Population, Family and Health of the University of Antwerp is launching a competition to attract talented PhDs in the Social Sciences who want to pursue their careers in our research centre. For this challenge, you will write a scientific essay describing a problem that urgently needs to be researched. The problem also needs academic attention from a European comparative perspective and touches on issues from social demography, family sociology and/or the sociology of disease and health. You document the problem with an empirical analysis, preferably in a comparative perspective. When elaborating the essay, you pay particular attention to issues of gender and/or social inequality. The winner's essay will be submitted to Population Europe for publication in their Pop Digest series.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Mortelmans Dimitri
• Co-promoter: Neels Karel
• Co-promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Co-promoter: Wouters Edwin
• Fellow: Maes Julie

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health01/11/2022 - 31/10/2024

Funding

• BOF

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The objective of my PhD research is to perform an in-depth study on the medicalization of FGC. Based on a comprehensive literature review, I developed the following hypotheses: H1. Medicalization of FGC is stratified by socio-economic status; because of both financial capability and increased knowledge about the healthcare system and possible health risks of FGC. H2. Medicalization of FGC acts as a status symbol on its own. The economic ability of mothers to circumcise their daughter in a medical context may contribute to their social status. H3. Medicalization of FGC acts as a harm-reduction strategy. When social pressure to cut is strong, women may opt for a medicalized cut (rather than to not cut at all) to conform the social pressure in a safer alternative way. H4. Medicalization of FGC acts as a social norm itself. Medicalized FGC has become the dominant cultural view of how FGC should be performed.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van de Velde Sarah

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health01/01/2019 - 31/12/2020

Funding

• FED. INST.

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Children bring joy, but also stress, especially among employed parents who struggle to combine work with childcare. This research proposal intends to examine how European welfare states differ in the way they enable childcare and how this may impact psychological stress in parents with young dependent children. Some European welfare states implement policies and services that enable parents to work full-time, for example, by providing high-quality public childcare services. Other European welfare states may consider care-giving as equally valuable as paid employment, and may therefore provide long and well-paid parental leaves. Some European welfare states combine both approaches, while others neglect childcare all together in the development of their welfare policies. In the current research proposal, we examine how European variations in childcare policies and services may impact psychological distress in parents. We intend to compare different household types, for example by comparing male-breadwinner households with dual-earner households. We additionally look at lone mother households. Finally, we look at how childcare provided by grandparents may be crowded-out by childcare policies, and how this may relate to psychological distress in parents.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Co-promoter: Van Lancker Wim
• Fellow: Somogyi Nikolett

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health01/10/2017 - 30/09/2021

Funding

• BOF

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

In recent decades, European societies witnessed an unprecedented increase in women's labour force participation. The rise of gender equity in education and labour markets has not been mirrored, however, by a similar shift of gender equity in families and households. The division of household work continues to be strongly gendered and labour force participation around parenthood shows more variation among women than men. Micro-economic theories account for gender specialization in (un)paid work by bargaining based on relative socio-economic positions of partners. However, as women increasingly outperform men in terms of earning potential, the persistence of traditional gender specialization in households is paradoxical. In contrast, gender identity theories suggest that couples conform to and reproduce gender roles, and that decisions regarding family formation and the parental division of (un)paid labour strongly depend on cultural norms. Using detailed register-based panel data for Belgium and comparative panel data for Europe, this project studies couples' labour force participation around parenthood. We assess whether economic preconditions for parenthood (financial resources, time availability, job security) are gendered and subsequently analyse whether the relative socio-economic position of partners can account for the reinforcement of gender roles following parenthood, or whether gender roles persist despite the changing relative labour market position of women.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Neels Karel
• Co-promoter: Van de Velde Sarah

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health01/01/2017 - 31/12/2020

Funding

• FWO

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Female genital cutting (FGC) in one form or another is currently practiced in most African countries. In the current research proposal we intend to shed light on the practice by examining changes in the practice over time and across generations. We make use of two datasets; the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) data and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) data. The most recent waves of the DHS and MICS surveys provide data regarding FGC prevalence for 27 countries, but have started to collected data in a number of countries since 1995. Both surveys are nationally representative, cross-sectional, household sample surveys with large sample sizes, typically between 5000 and 15,000 households. Based on the DHS and MICS data, the current research proposal intends to stipulate a macro-sociological approach to the study of FGC. We examine three research questions; (1) whether there are substantial differences between African countries, in the prevalence, type and level of medicalisation of FGC. In addition, we intend to establish trends across time and between generations; (2) whether the level of female empowerment is associated with FGC in both mother and daughter; and (3) how the implementation anti-FGC laws and norms, often imposed by the international community, impacts the local community and practices of FGC.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Fellow: Van Eekert Nina

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health01/10/2016 - 30/09/2020

Funding

• BOF

Project type(s)

• Research Project