Marie Valentová
is a research fellow at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER, formerly CEPS/INSTEAD). She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Masaryk University and the Advanced Master in European Social Policy Analysis (MESPA) from the Tilburg University (NL) and the Bath University (UK). She visited the Faculty of Social Studies in April 2024 to give a lesson within a course Gender and labour market in different European contexts. Her research interests include: social policy analysis and evaluation, reconciliation of family and paid work, gender issues, immigrants and social cohesion.
Interviewed by Arzu Maharramova and Michaela Nespěchalová, April 2024
- What is the purpose of your stay at the Faculty of Social Studies?
I came here to give a lecture called Determinants and Consequences of Work-Family Reconciliation Policies. Focus on Parental Leave and Work Organizations. I have just finished the lecture and I enjoyed it very much.
2. What sparked your interest in this topic and in sociology and social policy analysis?
It's a very complex question and I do not know whether I'm able to identify all the factors and motivations that led me to that. Still, I've always been interested in social processes and as I made my decision about a career in the '90s, which was a very hectic place and the transformation of our society took place, I really wanted to understand what is the social structure, what are the social processes, what drives them, and what are the consequences of certain choices that people make at political, societal, and civic levels.
3. What challenges have you faced in advocating for gender equality in the workforce, and how have you overcome them?
I have to say that personally, I have always been very lucky, and I didn't face obvious structural or cultural obstacles. This shows the privileged position I was in order, just like luck.
However, I have to say that parenting is a challenge for an academic career. It's an enormous pleasure, and I'm very happy that I was able to experience it. To me, parenting is one of the main challenges, and here I dare to say that, according to our research, of course, traditionally, women have always faced more challenges for this. But as policies and especially in some countries not in everywhere are becoming a bit more gender neutral. Also, disadvantages and challenges spread also towards men and parents who want to benefit from certain policies and reconcile work and care for family and children. To reconcile this and be a parent or take care of ageing parents is the key challenge I have faced.
4. What motivates you to continue your research despite facing challenges and setbacks along the way?
I dare to say that I like challenges in my life that's why they do not demotivate me. So it's very difficult to spoil them. You know, like I had so much interest in everything, and it helped me to go through everything that one can retrospectively or objectively define as a challenge.
During hard times, which everyone has, I just went through that because I loved what I was doing and the curiosity and amazing complexity and beauty of life just helped me to go through. Of course, we face administrative challenges, and then scientific production is becoming really competitive. But interest and loving this job and the fact that I can learn while working and the content of my work is to discuss with people, learn new things and trying to understand things helps me to go through even if someone can say that there are some objective difficulties or hard times.
5. Do you have any advice for our students?
I will reply in a very simple way, and maybe it will be related to what I said previously. I think being curious, remaining positive, and trying to uncover and understand is a piece of good advice because it makes our lives exciting. And when we are excited, then we have a drive. And when we have a drive, we just go through things and we just go further and further.