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

"Finally, a book that reaches beyond the headlines to place the & opt out controversy in its proper place! From & opting out to & opting in to & being kept out, this stellar collection provides a much-needed overview of the diverse obstacles facing women and men of all classes, life stages, and social backgrounds. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the conundrums and inequalities created by the national and global crisis of work and care." - Kathleen Gerson,author of The Unfinished Revolution: Coming of Age in a New Era of Gender, Work, and Family "In clear and compelling prose, the essays in this superb collection offer an important corrective to the notion that women freely choose to leave employment. The authors demonstrate instead how significant constraints shape womens relationships to the labor force and how these constraints vary for women in different social class positions." - Margaret K. Nelson,Author of Parenting Out of Control: Anxious Parents in Uncertain Times "This timely book is a significant contribution to the sociology of family and work and gender roles...highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above." (CHOICE)