This is an empirically rich and thoughtful account of the recent and less recent history of family policies in four Central European countries as well as three traditionally capitalist societies as points of comparison. In this engaging historical-institutional analysis of the dynamics of post-communist welfare states, a first in this field, Saxonberg stresses the importance of historical trajectories and the ... Read morecultural/ideological context in shaping social policy. The contentious connections among family policies, women's rights, nationalist sentiments and democracy also emerge from the discussion. - Eva Fodor, Department of Gender Studies, Central European University, Hungary Show Less