Description
Book SynopsisA collection of essays by the leading scholars in the field of work and family research, in which contributors illustrate that the desire to balance both work and family demands continues to be a point of unresolved concern for families and employers alike and women's equity within the workforce still falls behind.
Trade Review"Finally, a book that reaches beyond the headlines to place the & opt out controversy in its proper place! From & opting out to & opting in to & being kept out, this stellar collection provides a much-needed overview of the diverse obstacles facing women and men of all classes, life stages, and social backgrounds. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the conundrums and inequalities created by the national and global crisis of work and care." -- Kathleen Gerson,author of The Unfinished Revolution: Coming of Age in a New Era of Gender, Work, and Family
"In clear and compelling prose, the essays in this superb collection offer an important corrective to the notion that women freely choose to leave employment. The authors demonstrate instead how significant constraints shape womens relationships to the labor force and how these constraints vary for women in different social class positions." -- Margaret K. Nelson,Author of Parenting Out of Control: Anxious Parents in Uncertain Times
"This timely book is a significant contribution to the sociology of family and work and gender roles...highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above." * CHOICE *
Table of ContentsP a r t I . "Opting Out": Women's History and Feminist Legal heory Introduction: Women, Work, and Motherhood in American HistoryBernie D. JonesP a r t I I . Is "Opting Out" for Real?1 The Rhetoric and Reality of "Opting Out": Toward a Better Understanding of Professional Women's Decisions to Head Home Pamela Stone and Lisa Ackerly Hernandez2 The Real "Opt-Out Revolution" and a New Model of Flexible Careers Kerstin Aumann and Ellen GalinskyP a r t I I I . Can All Women "Opt In" before hey "Opt Out"?3 "Opting In" to Full Labor Force Participation in Hourly JobsSusan J. Lambert4 The Challenges to and Consequences of "Opting Out" for Low-Wage, New MothersMaureen Perry-Jenkins5 The Future of Family Caregiving: he Value of Work-Family Strategies hat Beneit Both Care Consumers and Paid Care WorkersPeggie R. Smithviii |6 Care Work and Women's Employment: A Comparative PerspectiveJoya MisraP a r t I V. Conclusion7 he Opt-Out Revolution Revisited Joan C. Williams and Jamie DolkasBibliography About the Contributors Index
