American Women in Transition

This series is aimed at converting the vast statistical yield of the 1980 census into independent, authoritative analyses of major changes and trends in American life. Few recent social changes have been as dramatic as the women’s move from the private domain to the public, from traditional family life to the realms of work and higher education. This trend has been accompanied by an array of other social and demographic changes including: rising divorce rates, declining fertility and an increase in the number of households maintained by women. American Women in Transition draws on census data and other national surveys to document American women’s increasing educational attainment and labour force participation and the Balancing Act required to reconcile these with their continued commitment to marriage and family. Pointing to the lack of affordable child care and women’s lower earning power the authors describe the current realities of women’s lives in a society which has not yet adapted to their changing status. This study provides an insight into the roles and needs of women in contemporary American society, but, at its core, it has a rigorous statistical discipline, and to women throughout Western society its findings will sound familiar.