Work matters : how parents' jobs shape children's well-being / Maureen Perry-Jenkins.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Perry-Jenkins, Maureen, 1959- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Work and family.

Low-income parents.

Parenthood.

Working poor--Social conditions.

Working poor.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (248 p.) : 13 b/w illus.

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N. J. : Princeton University Press, [2022]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

How new parents in low-wage jobs juggle the demands of work and childcare, and the easy ways employers can helpLow-wage workers make up the largest group of employed parents in the United States, yet scant attention has been given to their experiences as new mothers and fathers. Work Matters brings the unique stories of these diverse individuals to light. Drawing on years of research and more than fifteen hundred family interviews, Maureen Perry-Jenkins describes how new parents cope with the demands of infant care while holding down low-wage, full-time jobs, and she considers how managing all of these responsibilities have long-term implications for child development. She examines why some parents and children thrive while others struggle, demonstrates how specific job conditions impact parental engagement and child well-being, and discusses common-sense and affordable ways that employers can provide support.In the United States, federal parental leave policy is unfunded. As a result, many new parents, particularly hourly workers, return to their jobs just weeks after giving birth because they cannot afford not to. Not surprisingly, workplace policies that offer parents flexibility and leave time are crucial. But Perry-Jenkins shows that the time parents spend at work also matters. Their day-to-day experiences on the job, such as relationships with supervisors and coworkers, job autonomy, and time pressures, have long-term consequences for parents’ mental health, the quality of their parenting, and, ultimately, the health of their children.An overdue look at an important segment of the parenting population, Work Matters proposes ways to reimagine low-wage work to sustain new families and the development of future generations.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CHAPTER 1 “They Sure Don’t Make It Easy for Parents” Low-Income, Working Parents and Their Children

CHAPTER 2 “The Invisible Americans” The Work and Family Transitions Project

CHAPTER 3 “A Little Can Go a Long Way” Workplace Policies and Parents’ Well-Being

CHAPTER 4 “They Treat Me Right, Then I Do Right by Them” Experiences in Low-Income Jobs and Mental Health

CHAPTER 5 “This Parenting Thing Is Harder Than It Looks” Low-Income Work and Parenting

CHAPTER 6 “I Just Want Him to Have a Good Start in Life” Work and Child Development

CHAPTER 7 “Thriving or Surviving” How to Move Forward

APPENDIXES

NOTES

INDEX

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780691259857

0691259852

9780691185866

0691185867

OCLC:

1338020715