THE ECONOMIC EMERGENCE OF WOMEN

by Barbara R. Bergmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 18, 1986

An odd hybrid of economic treatise and call to arms, this book will nevertheless prove a good resource for anyone interested in the economics of women's employment and the decline of the two-parent nuclear familyNo inspirational stories of women who have it all--just the facts--about the causes and effects of wage inequity, job segregation and the regulatory schemes (tax, social security, welfare) which place an increasingly unrealistic emphasis on one wage earner/ one housekeeper homes. Larding her text with statistical tables and economic analyses, Bergmann debunks a number of alarmist theories about the effects of women's increased entry into the work force, adding breadth to more usual subjects with a detailed look at the growing problems of child support (really non-support) and anti-discrimination enforcement. Her well-balanced approach includes the notion that the feminist movement may be responsible in part for judicial reluctance to require hefty alimony and child-support payments even when the women involved cannot easily enter the job market. Apparently in an effort to make the book more accessible, Bergmann skimps on footnotes, leaving what may well be sociological findings sounding like eccentric opinions at times, but she has concrete suggestions--again with cost analyses to back up their practicality--for an agenda of improvement. Not exactly light reading, but, for anyone interested in rounding out a knowledge of women's issues, worth looking into.

Pub Date: Nov. 18, 1986

ISBN: 0312219415

Page Count: -

Publisher: Basic Books

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1986

Categories: NONFICTION