Overstretched provides fresh perspectives on the reality of European family life where care and paid work need to be woven together on a daily basis, offering an opportunity to discuss and evaluate care policies in a new light.

• A collection of essays providing new perspectives on the reality of European family life where care and paid work need to be woven together on a daily basis.
• Focuses on families who live under strained conditions, such as lone parent families, immigrant families, and families who care simultaneously for both their children and an elderly family member.
• Based on interviews with families from Finland, France, Italy, Portugal and the UK.
• Develops methods for doing comparative qualitative analysis in practice.
• Offers new insights into the problems of gender balance in caring, and the significance of cultural notions and working hours.
• Offers an opportunity to discuss and evaluate care policies in a new light.