{"product_id":"2940170243341","title":"Making Motherhood Work: How Women Manage Careers and Caregiving","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe work-family conflict that mothers experience today is a national crisis. Women struggle to balance breadwinning with the bulk of parenting, and stress is constant. Social policies don't help. Of all Western industrialized countries, the US ranks dead last for supportive work-family policies: No federal paid parental leave. The highest gender wage gap. No minimum standard for vacation and sick days. Can American women look to European policies for solutions?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing on interviews with 135 working mothers in Sweden, Germany, Italy, and the US, Caitlyn Collins shows that mothers' desires and expectations depend heavily on context. In Sweden amp;mdash; renowned for its gender-equal policies amp;mdash; mothers assume they will receive support from their partners, employers, and the government. In the former East Germany, with its history of mandated employment, mothers don't feel conflicted about working, but some curtail their work hours and ambitions. Mothers in Western Germany and Italy, where maternalist values are strong, are stigmatized for pursuing careers. Meanwhile, American working mothers stand apart for their guilt and worry.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePolicies alone, Collins discovers, cannot solve women's struggles. Easing them will require a deeper understanding of cultural beliefs about gender equality, employment, and motherhood.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HighBridge Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47099892269296,"sku":"2940170243341","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940170243341_p0.jpg?v=1763706112","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940170243341","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}