Francisca Fariña, Ramon Arce, María José Vázquez, Mercedes Novo, Dolores Seijo
Department of Psycho-Socio-Educational Analysis and Intervention, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain.
Department of Social Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
DOI: 10.4236/aasoci.2013.31007   PDF    HTML     5,007 Downloads   7,930 Views   Citations

Abstract

In recent years we have witnessed concerted efforts to achieve real equality between men and women through legislative reform in the European Union (i.e., EU Directives 2002/73/EC; 76/207/EEC), and nationwide in Spain (e.g., Law 3/2007, of 22 March, for Effective Gender Equality) as well as regional legislation (e.g., Law 7/2004, 16 July, Galician Law for the Equality of Women and Men). In view of the principle of equal rights enshrined in legislative reform, one would expect social change entailing the removal of existing inequalities on the grounds of sex. In order to explore the views of Spanish youth regarding gender equality, a pioneering field study was carried out to assess their knowledge of current legislation, and to examine their views towards gender equality, particularly in relation to specific issues such as family, divorce, separation, joint-custody, sexual relationships, education, and employment. Moreover, perceived or real models of equality were contrasted with ideal or desired models of equality. Thus, a total of 2071 Spanish undergraduates were administered an ad hoc questionnaire. The results reveal the vast majority of undergraduates favoured gender equality, and the equal participation of women and men in family and working life as well as joint-custody in cases of divorce or separation. Nevertheless, differences in gender were observed i.e., more women supported policies promoting the principle of equality than men. The findings underscore the need for implementing intervention strategies designed to foster shared responsibility and address different forms of discrimination based on sex in the family and the workplace and to combat them.

Keywords

Spanish Undergraduates; Gender Equality; Joint-Custody; Shared Parenting

Share and Cite:

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Alberdi, I., & Escario, P. (2007). Young men and paternity. Madrid: Fundación BBVA.
[2]	Alonso, M. (2011). The implications of Law 15/2005 on jurisprudence concerning care and custody: An archive study. Unpublished Master’s Thesis. Santiago de Compostela: University of Santiago de Compostela.
[3]	Amato, P., & Gilbreth, J. (1999). Nonresident father and children’s well-being: A meta-analysis. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61, 557-573. doi:10.2307/353560
[4]	Aneca (2011). Guidebook for designing projects to verify official university degrees (Bachelors and Masters). http://www.aneca.es/Programas/VERIFICA/Protocolos-de-evaluacion-y-documentos-de-ayuda/
[5]	Bauserman, R. (2002). Child adjustment in joint-custody versus sole custody arrangements: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Family Psychology, 1, 91-102. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.16.1.91
[6]	Bauserman, R. (2012). A meta-analysis of parental satisfaction, adjustment, and conflict in joint custody and sole custody following divorce. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 53, 464-488. doi:10.1080/10502556.2012.682901
[7]	Bredefeld, G. (1985). Joint custody and remarriage: Its effects on marital adjustment and children. Dissertation Abstracts International, 46, 952-953.
[8]	Buchanan, C. M., Maccoby, E. E., & Dornbusch, S. M. (1996). Adolescents after divorce. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
[9]	Catalán, M., García, B., Alemán, C., Andreu, P., Esquiva, A., García, M. D., et al. (2008). Joint Custody: Requesting the type of custody in contested and uncontested cases since the approval of the new law on divorce. In F. J. Rodríguez, C. Bringas, F. Fari?a, R. Arce, & A. Bernardo (Eds.), Forensic psychology: Family and victimology (pp. 123- 129). Oviedo: Universidad de Oviedo.
[10]	CIS (2007). Survey of Spanish youth. Estudio CIS No. 2675.
[11]	Coloma, A. (2011). Joint care and custody. An equalitarian family measure. Barcelona: Reus.
[12]	European Commission of Member States (2009). Report from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions— Equality between women and men. 2009. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52009DC0077:ES:NOT
[13]	Fari?a, F. (2010). Family counselling, a right and a need. In F. Fari?a, R. Arce, M. Novo, & D. Seijo (Eds.), Separation and divorce: Parental interference (pp. 207-225). Santiago de Compostela: NINO.
[14]	Gunnoe, M. L., & Braver, S. L. (2001). The effects of joint legal custody on mothers, fathers and children controlling for factors that predispose a sole maternal versus joint legal award. Law and Human Behavior, 25, 25-43. doi:10.1023/A:1005687825155
[15]	Hanson, S. M., &. Boxett, F. W. (1985). Dimensions of fatherhood. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
[16]	Hausmann, R., Tyson, L., & Zahidi, S. (2012). The Global Gender Gap Report 2012. Ginebra: Worl Economic Forum.
[17]	INE (2012). Notas de prensa sobre las estadísticas de Nulidades, Separaciones y Divorcios del A?o 2011. http://www.ine.es/prensa/np735.pdf
[18]	Instituto de Política Familiar (2010). El divorcio en la Unión Europea. Boletín Monográfico Online, 8, 1-20.
[19]	Lamb, M. (2002). Non residential fathers and their children. In C. S. Tamis-LeMonda, & N. Cabrera (Eds.), Handbook of father involvement: Multidisciplinary perspective (pp. 169-184). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
[20]	Lathrop, F. (2009). Joint custody and parental co-responsibility: Judicial and sociological approaches. Diario La Ley, 7206, 1-6.
[21]	Law 15/2005 (2005). 8 July, that modifies the Civil Code, and the Law on Civil Proceedings regarding separation and divorce. BOE, 163, 24458-24461.
[22]	Law 2/2010 (2010). 26 May, on equality of family relations within the parental home. BOE, 151, 54523-54533.
[23]	Law 25/2010 (2010). 29 July, on the Second Book of the Civil Code of Catalonia in relation to people and families. BOE, 203, 73429-73525.
[24]	Law 7/2004 (2004). 16 July, Galician equality for women and men. BOE, 228, 31571-31580.
[25]	Law 1/2004 (2004). 28 December, Integrated Protection Measures against Gender Violence. BOE, 331, 42166-42197.
[26]	Law 3/2007 (2007). 22 March, for the effective equality of women and men. BOE, 71, 12611-12645.
[27]	López, A., Gil, G., Moreno, A., Comas, D., Funes, M. J., & Parella, S. (2008). Informe Juventud en Espa?a. Madrid: INJUVE.
[28]	Luepnitz, D. (1980). Maternal, paternal and joint custody: A study of familiar after divorce. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan.
[29]	Luepnitz, D. (1982). Child custody: A study of families after divorce. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
[30]	Meil, G. (2006). Parents and children in current society. Barcelona: Fundación Obra Social La Caixa.
[31]	Spanish Ministry of Equality (2009). Two-year assessment report on the application of Law 3/2007, 22 March for the effective equality of women and men.
[32]	Navarro, L. (2006). The ideal family model in spanish society. Revista Internacional de Sociología, 43, 119-138.
[33]	Ortu?o, P. (2006). El nuevo régimen jurídico de la crisis matrimonial. Madrid: Civitas.
[34]	Patrician, M. (1984). Child custody terms: Potencial contributors to custody dissatisfaction and conflict. Mediation Quaterly, 1, 41-57.
[35]	Pearson, J., & Thoennes, N. (1990). Custody after divorce. Demographical and attitudinal patterns. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 56, 486-489.
[36]	Recommendation (2006). 19 of the Committee of Ministers of Member States concerning supporting policing for undertaking positive parenting. Council of Europe. http://www.parentalidadpositiva.jorfam.es/images/Pdf/Recomendacion.pdf
[37]	Shiller, V. (1984). Joint and maternal custody: The outcome for boys aged 6 - 11 and their parents. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Newark, DE: University of Delaware.
[38]	Shiller, V. (1986). Joint versus maternal custody for families with latency age boys: Parent characteristics and child adjustment. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 56, 486-489. doi:10.1111/j.1939-0025.1986.tb03481.x
[39]	SOS PAPA (2005). Encuesta Gallup 2005. http://www.federacioncustodiacompartida.org/contenidos/noticia1.html
[40]	UN (1979). The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/cedaw.htm
[41]	Welsh-Osga, B. (1981). The effects of custody arrangements on children of divorce. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Vermillion, SD: University of South Dakota.
[42]	Yárnoz, S. (2010). Towards post-divorce co-parenting: Perceptions of support from ex-partners in divorced child carers in Spain. International Journal of Psychology and Health, 2, 295-307.
[43]	Zimmerman, M. (2000). Empowerment theory. Psychological, organizational and community levels of analysis. In J. Rappaport, & E. Seidman (Eds.), Handbook of Community Psychology (pp. 43-63). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plen.