Conceptual Ambiguity, Geographic Bias and Gender Gap in Research on Family Policy

Abstract

This study addresses the conceptual ambiguity surrounding family policy (FP) literature, while also filling a knowledge gap related to the geographic and gender aspects of scholarly authorship. Employing a semi-systematic literature review and a mixed-methods approach, we analysed 232 peer-reviewed articles published in leading scientific journals indexed in the Web of Science – Current Contents Connect database during the period 2012 to 2022. The study applied text content analysis to examine how FP is conceptualised and to investigate who contributes to this academic field – considering authors’ gender, institutional affiliations, and the geographic scope of their research. The findings confirm the presence of significant conceptual ambiguity, reflected in a wide range of FP conceptualisation types. In addition, the study supports the hypothesis of geographic bias, with a marked predominance of authors affiliated with institutions in the United States and, unexpectedly, Sweden – a pattern that may reflect long-standing national traditions of comprehensive family and social policy. Contrary to expectations, female scholars were found to constitute a majority among authors contributing to the FP literature in the analysed sample. This study helps to address existing gaps in the literature by offering new empirical insights into the conceptual, gender and geographic landscape of FP research. Its originality lies in its interdisciplinary positioning at the intersection of conceptual analysis, gender studies, and geographic mapping. The findings also open several avenues for future research, including the exploration of conceptual linkages between FP broader social policy, and gender equality frameworks, as well as further investigation into the notable prevalence of female authors in this field.