THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND AND THE ISSUE OF RECONCILIATION IN POLAND
THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND AND THE ISSUE OF RECONCILIATION IN POLAND

Summary/Abstract: This article deals with the issue of reconciliation between work and family life and the way it is carried out by the European Social Fund (ESF) in Poland. Our aim is to see how the ESF conveys EU norms and principles regarding the issue of reconciliation, how they are operational in reality, and what the consequences may be for women who take part in ESF projects in their relation to the labour market. These questions are included in a more general investigation of the implementation of the ESF in Poland and the way it interacts with domestic institutions, interests and ideas. Therefore, the main theoretical framework here is the Europeanization of public policy. The article focuses on EU ideas in particular, which are confronted to polish national heritage regarding family policy and employment policies toward women. We also suggest a local perspective –through the example of rural areas- to examine the real effects of ESF and hence, the potential limits of the Europeanization process.

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