American women : who they are & how they live / by the New Strategist editors.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

New Strategist Publications, Inc.

Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Women--United States--Statistics.

Women.

Women consumers--United States--Statistics.

Women consumers.

United States.

Genre:

Statistics.

Physical Description:

xvii, 413 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Ithaca, N.Y. : New Strategist Publications, [2002]

Contents:

Chapter 1. Attitudes

Most Women Are Pretty Happy 6

Most Women Had Working Mothers 10

Most Women Say Their Marriage Is "Very Happy" 13

Most Women Are Mothers 16

Women Socialize Most Frequently with Relatives 20

Most Women Say Their Standard of Living Is Better than Their Parents' 23

Most Women Are Satisfied with Their Financial Situation 26

Most Women (and Men) Support Affirmative Action for Women 29

Most Women Pray at Least Once a Day 33

Women Support Abortion, Gun Permits, Death Penalty 38

Many Women Put Environment First, but Some Are Doubters 43

The Largest share of Women Say They Are Independent 46

Older Women Are More Likely to Read Newspapers, Watch TV 50

Chapter 2. Business

Women Own 26 Percent of the Nation's Businesses 56

Most Firms Owned by Women Are Small 60

Largest Share of Women-Owned Firms Are in California 66

Chapter 3. Education

Women's Educational Attainment Has Soared 72

Young Women Are Better Educated than Older Women 74

Non-Hispanic Whites Are Most Likely to Be High School Graduates 76

Half of Women Have College Experience 79

Many Older Women Are in School 82

Women's College Enrollment Rate Rose during the 1990s 84

More College Students Are of Traditional Age 87

Nearly One-Third of College Students Are Minorities 89

Most Older Students Are Part-Timers 91

Hispanics Are More Likely to Attend School Part-Time 94

Objectives of Male and Female College Students Are Similar 96

Among College Freshmen, Women Are Less Confident than Men 98

Women Earn Most College Degrees 100

Women Earn Most Degrees in Education 103

Women Are Nearly Half of New Lawyers 108

Women's Dominance of Higher Education Will Grow 110

Chapter 4. Health

Most Women Rate Their Health as Good or Excellent 114

Women Are Concerned about Healthy Eating 116

Older Women Are Less Likely to Eat Pizza 118

Women Are More Likely to Take Vitamins 122

On an Average Day, Most Women Eat Out 124

Women and Men Are Equally Likely to Be Overweight 126

One in Five Women Smokes Cigarettes 128

Most Women Drink Alcohol 130

Women Are More Likely to Have High Cholesterol 132

High Blood Pressure Is Common among Older Women 134

Many Women Rarely Exercise 136

Sterilization Is the Most Popular Contraceptive 138

The Abortion Rate Is Highest for Young Women 140

Little Change in Childlessness during the 1990s 142

Most New Mothers Are Twentysomething 144

Minorities Account for a Large Share of Births 147

Unmarried Mothers Are Common 149

Older Mothers Are Well Educated 151

Most Births Take Place in Hospitals 153

Caesarean Rate Rises with Age 155

Young Adults Are Most Likely to Be Uninsured 157

Females Account for the Majority of Acute Illnesses 159

Females Dominate Most Chronic Conditions 162

Many Women Are Disabled 165

Females Account for Most Physician Visits 167

Females Are the Majority of Hospital Patients 170

Women Are More Likely to Be Caregivers 177

Women Account for Three out of Four Nursing Home Residents 179

Women Account for a Minority of People with AIDS 181

Heart Disease Is the Leading Killer of Women 183

Chapter 5. Income

Women's Incomes Are Growing Faster than Men's 188

Big Income Gains for Women in Most Age Groups 190

Black Women Have Enjoyed the Biggest Income Gains 192

Women in the South Saw the Greatest Income Growth 194

Incomes Are Highest for Women Aged 45 to 54 196

Black Women's Income Almost Equal to White Women's 199

Women Are Gaining on Men 201

Women's Earnings Rise with Education 203

The Highest Paid Women Are Pharmacists 205

Female-Headed Families Have Seen Big Income Gains 214

Married Couples Are the Nation's Income Elite 217

Female-Headed Families Have Below-Average Incomes 222

Low Incomes for Older Women Who Live Alone 224

Most of the Nation's Poor Are Female 226

Chapter 6. Labor Force

Labor Force Participation of Women Is Still Rising 232

Unemployment Is Highest among Young Women 234

Black Women Are Most Likely to Work 236

Most Women Work Full-Time 238

Working Mothers Are the Norm 240

Majority of Mothers Work Full-Time 242

The Majority of Couples Are Dual Earners 244

Job Tenure Has Been Stable for Women 246

Women Dominate Many Occupations 249

Nearly Half of Working Women Are in the Service Industries 260

Few Women Are Self-Employed 263

Alternative Work Arrangements Attract Few Women 265

Union Membership Is Unlikely for Women Workers 267

Among New Workers, Women Will Outnumber Men 269

More Women Will Be at Work in 2010 271

Chapter 7. Living Arrangements

Most Women Are Married 274

Black Women Are Least Likely to Be Married 276

Divorce Rate Is Highest among Fortysomething Women 282

Many Children Live with Their Mother Only 284

Most Women Are Householders 286

The Majority of Americans Who Live Alone Are Women 289

Household Diversity Is Greatest among the Young and the Old 293

Households Vary Sharply by Race and Ethnicity 296

Only One-Third of Households include Children under Age 18 298

Most Families Find Nest Slow to Empty 300

Married Couples Are Much Better Educated than Single Parents 303

Husbands and Wives Are Alike in Many Ways 305

Nearly 4 Million Women Are Unmarried Partners to Men 310

Chapter 8. Population

Forty- and Fiftysomethings Grew the Fastest 314

Females Outnumber Males 316

Blacks Outnumber Hispanics among American Females 318

Female Population Grew Fastest in the West 330

Fifteen Percent of Females Move Each Year 336

Half the Foreign-Born Are Female 339

Females Are the Majority of Immigrants 342

Chapter 9. Spending

Married Couples Spend More than Average 320

Women Who Live Alone Spend Less than Average 361

Chapter 10. Wealth

Net Worth Rises with Age 376

Financial Assets Are Growing 378

For Most Americans, the Home Is Their Most Valuable Asset 381

Most Households Have Debts 383

Homeownership Is the Norm for Older Women 385

Fewer than Half of Women Have Pension Coverage 387.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

ISBN:

188507042X

OCLC:

50559948