Den ojämställda försäkringen : Kvinnors upplevelser av föräldraledigheten

Sammanfattning: The distribution of paid parental leave in Sweden today remains unequal despite several political reforms. In addition, previous research shows that this unequal distribution leads to negative health effects for the women who use the majority of the parental leave. The aim of this study is therefore to create an understanding of why women takes out the majority of the paid parental leave. Four interviews have been made with women who have done just that. By analyzing the material through feminist post-structuralism and queer theory, the women’s discursive understanding of their own situation is made visible. Three themes emerge: the first theme shows how an essentialist understanding of the woman is ruling despite the fact that the women on many occasions also demonstrate a constructivist understanding. The second theme highlights a discourse where the women are both expected to take out the majority of the parental leave while also being responsible for an equal distribution, which is impossible to fulfill. The last theme shows how two aspects are made invisible, first, the problems that arise due to an uneven distribution and, second, that an equal distribution of the parental leave is possible. These themes are understood as normalization processes and a way to maintain the power structure between the sexes.