Description
Book Synopsis: A moving, cross-national account of working mothers’ daily lives—and the revolution in public policy and culture needed to improve them. The work-family conflict that mothers experience today is a national crisis. Women struggle to balance breadwinning with the bulk of parenting, and stress is constant. Social policies don’t help. Of all Western industrialized countries, the United States ranks dead last for supportive work-family policies: No federal paid parental leave. The highest gender wage gap. No minimum standard for vacation and sick days. The highest maternal and child poverty rates. Can American women look to European policies for solutions? Making Motherhood Work draws on interviews that sociologist Caitlyn Collins conducted over five years with 135 middle-class working mothers in Sweden, Germany, Italy, and the United States. She explores how women navigate work and family given the different policy supports available in each country.
Taking readers into women’s homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces, Collins shows that mothers’ desires and expectations depend heavily on context. In Sweden—renowned for its gender-equal policies—mothers assume they will receive support from their partners, employers, and the government. In the former East Germany, with its history of mandated employment, mothers don’t feel conflicted about working, but some curtail their work hours and ambitions. Mothers in western Germany and Italy, where maternalist values are strong, are stigmatized for pursuing careers. Meanwhile, American working mothers stand apart for their guilt and worry. Policies alone, Collins discovers, cannot solve women’s struggles. Easing them will require a deeper understanding of cultural beliefs about gender equality, employment, and motherhood. With women held to unrealistic standards in all four countries, the best solutions demand that we redefine motherhood, work, and family.
Making Motherhood Work vividly demonstrates that women need not accept their work-family conflict as inevitable.
Details
Making Motherhood Work: How Women Manage Careers and Caregiving is a groundbreaking book that sheds light on the challenges working mothers face every day. This timely and eye-opening account explores the work-family conflict that mothers experience, emphasizing the urgent need for a revolution in public policy and culture to improve their lives. With stress being a constant companion for women, it's clear that the current social policies offer little support. In fact, the United States, ranked last among Western industrialized countries for work-family policies, leaves American women struggling. But fear not, there is hope!
Author Caitlyn Collins takes readers on a cross-national journey, providing insights into the lives of 135 middle-class working mothers in Sweden, Germany, Italy, and the United States. By delving into their experiences and the different policy supports available in each country, Collins presents a compelling argument for American women to look to European policies for solutions. Imagine a world where mothers receive comprehensive support from their partners, employers, and the government. Sweden, renowned for its gender-equal policies, showcases the power of such a system.
However, this book goes beyond policy discussions, diving into the cultural context that shapes women's desires and expectations regarding work and family. The author takes readers into the homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces of these mothers, providing vivid examples that resonate with readers. Collins reveals that the struggle for working mothers is not confined to policies alone; a deeper understanding of cultural beliefs about gender equality, employment, and motherhood is necessary to alleviate their burdens.
Don't despair, for Making Motherhood Work offers hope and outlines the best solutions to redefine motherhood, work, and family. This book challenges the notion that work-family conflict is inevitable for women. It empowers women by giving them the tools they need to navigate the complexities of balancing a career and caregiving. If you're a working mother yearning for change and seeking inspiration, this book is a must-read!
To embark on an empowering journey and discover how to make motherhood work, visit this link now!
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