Conceptual controversies: comparing the quality of work and welfare for men and women across societies

This paper critically examines a range of typologies used in comparative employment and welfare state research. The approaches examined include the societal effect, varieties of capitalism, welfare state regimes and benchmarking approaches, and their feminist critiques. The article concludes by assessing the critical merits and implicit assumptions of using such typologies for comparative research on the quality of work and welfare for men and women.