Women Who Opt Out: The Debate over Working Mothers and Work-Family Balance

Cover......Page 1
Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 10
PART I. “Opting Out”: Women’s History and Feminist Legal Theory......Page 14
Introduction: Women, Work, and Motherhood in American History......Page 16
PART II. Is “Opting Out” for Real?......Page 44
1 The Rhetoric and Reality of “Opting Out”: Toward a Better Understanding of Professional Women’s Decisions to Head Home......Page 46
2 The Real “Opt-Out Revolution” and a New Model of Flexible Careers......Page 70
PART III. Can All Women “Opt In” before They “Opt Out”?......Page 98
3 “Opting In” to Full Labor Force Participation in Hourly Jobs......Page 100
4 The Challenges to and Consequences of “Opting Out” for Low-Wage, New Mothers......Page 116
5 The Future of Family Caregiving: The Value of Work-Family Strategies That Benefit Both Care Consumers and Paid Care Workers......Page 132
6 Care Work and Women’s Employment: A Comparative Perspective......Page 150
PART IV. Conclusion......Page 162
7 The Opt-Out Revolution Revisited......Page 164
Bibliography......Page 190
About the Contributors......Page 206
C......Page 208
G......Page 209
M......Page 210
S......Page 211
Y......Page 212