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 : Opting Out?: Why Women Really Quit Careers and Head Home

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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 306.8743
EAN: 9780520244351
Edition: 1
ISBN: 0520244354
Label: University of California Press
Manufacturer: University of California Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 314
Publication Date: May 04, 2007
Publisher: University of California Press
Studio: University of California Press




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Editorial Review:

Product Description:
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 this 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 professions, Pamela Stone explores the role that their husbands, children, and coworkers play in their decision; how women's efforts to construct new lives and new identities unfold once they are home; and where their aspirations and plans for the future lie. What we learn--contrary to many media perceptions--is that these high-flying women are not opting out but are instead being pushed out of the workplace. Drawing on their experiences, Stone outlines concrete ideas for redesigning workplaces to make it easier for women--and men--to attain their goal of living rewarding lives that combine both families and careers.



Customer Reviews
Average Rating:  out of 5 stars

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars - Could have been interesting but.....NO
This books goes in circles - how many ways can you say the same thing over and over again. Could have been interesting if the research reached more horizons, but.....NO. This book came up short for me.



Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Excellent Examination of the Complicated Decision to Stay Home
Pamela Stone's examination of the issues and complexities of making the decision to leave a career, or at least to take a multi year career break, is spot on. I was on maternity leave with my first child when my company collapsed, so I knew I wasn't returning to that job. But I did have to decide whether to start looking for another full time job. My husband and I weren't getting any younger and we wanted to have more kids so I ended up working in limited part time jobs for a few years and then ... Read More



Rating: 3 out of 5 stars - Not really applicable to us "normal folks"
Although it seems that the author really did her homework, the bottom line is that the subjects in this book are super high earning and super high acheiving women married to even higher acheiving/earning husbands. The study itself is fascinating and I'm sure that many of the home "pull" and workplace "push" factors apply to women of all income, education, and racial/ethnic backgrounds but the bottom line is that these were women who could AFFORD to stay home seemingly without making any compromises ... Read More



Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - Good Read
This book was great. I would recommend this book to any women thinking about starting a family or anyone concerned with the shortage of women in corporate world. This book read almost like a novel since you follow the lives of several women. It is very enjoyable and dosen't preach about which choice is better for a women to make, working or staying at home. I really liked it and learned a lot. My one complaint is that women in this book are all super rich and had very powerful jobs. Perhaps the author ... Read More



Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Stories that grabbed my heart
Beautifully written,this book tells compelling stories of real lives, while exposing the often hidden factors that force women to make tough choices between caring for their families and continuing in their chosen professions. Lack of flexibility on the job, luck of the draw in finding sympathetic bosses, ridiculous social norms of working as if no employee had a personal life, lack of mentoring, low continuity in corporate relationships and networks, stigma of part-time work, pressure on single-earner ... Read More







 






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