Opting out? : why women really quit careers and head home / Pamela Stone.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Stone, Pamela.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Stay-at-home mothers.

Work and family.

Choice (Psychology).

Life change events.

Physical Description:

xviii, 295 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : University of California Press, [2007]

Summary:

Noting a phenomenon that might seem to recall a previous era, "The New York Times Magazine "recently portrayed women who leave their careers in order to become full-time mothers as "opting out." But are high-achieving, professional women really "choosing "to abandon their careers in order to return home? This provocative study is the first to tackle the issue from the perspective of the women themselves. Based on a series of candid, in-depth interviews with women who returned home after working as doctors, lawyers, bankers, scientists, and other professionals, Pamela Stone finds--contrary to many media percep-tions--that these high-flying women are not opting out but are instead being pushed out of the workplace. Drawing on their experiences, she outlines concrete ideas for redesigning workplaces to make it easier for high-achieving women--and men--to attain their goal of living rewarding lives that combine families and careers.

Contents:

The dream team

Family matters

Home alone

Gilded cages

The choice gap

Half-full, half-empty

Mothers of re-invention

Cocooning: the drift to domesticity

Dreams and visions: getting there

Appendix. Study methodology.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 277-285) and index.

ISBN:

9780520244351

0520244354

OCLC:

84838543