The Changing Realties of Work and Family
While both the nature of families and the composition of the workforce have gone through radical changes, few adjustments have been made so that work and family are aligned in ways that promote strong families and a strong economy. Changing Realities of Work and Family takes a multidisciplinary look at the topic of work and family, ultimately addressing four primary questions: How do families and employers accommodate the demands of employment and children?; How does society deal with diversity and discrimination in areas such as age, community, and sexual orientation?; How does working and caring for families affect health?; and What is the effect of work-family integration in politics, business, and the legal system? These questions are addressed from a variety of perspectives and a diverse assortment of contributors, including a former Governor who gave birth to twins while in office; a distinguished legal professor and leading authority on workplace discrimination against mothers and pregnant women; a researcher whose work on parental stress includes videotaped interactions between parents and children as parents return home from work; and a consultant to corporations developing workplace flexibility with a particular focus on low-wage workers.
Comprised of original empirical articles written expressly for this work and “real world” examples and strategies for balancing the two, this book presents the most current research on the field of work and family.
Praise for
The Changing Realties of Work and Family
"This is a valuable addition to any HR specialist’s library."
—People Management, November 2008)
"Amy Marcus-Newhall, Diane Halpern, and Sherylle Tan have compiled the first comprehensive, multidisciplinary volume on work and family. The Changing Realities of Work and Family brings togetherthe best researchers in this field and some extraordinary practitioners to cover an impressive array of topics from several vantage points. The editors skillfully combine contributions that point to the common experiences adults workers face in combining employment with caring for families but also carefully remind us of important differences among workers and families that are often overlooked in this field. The book will be an asset to work/family researchers and professionals as well as an excellent primer for the classroom."
–Randy Albelda, University of Massachusetts Boston
"In the context of a rapidly changing U.S. work force, this up-to-date volume provides keen insights into how families, communities, and workplaces can reap substantial benefits from greater investments in supportive work-family policies. This multidisciplinary array of studies examines the experiences of a diverse array of families, and notes the powerful effects of work-family interventions on health outcomes, family life, and workplace productivity and equality."
–Joya Misra, University of Massachusetts Amherst
"A multi-disciplinary, multi-level, research-based summary of what we know about integrating work and family in today’s complicated world. An important new resource for all researchers concerned with the work-family domain."
–Lotte Bailyn, Massachusetts Institute of Technology