Career and Family: Women’s Century-Long Journey Toward Equity

Harvard economics professor Goldin (Women Working Longer) examines the obstacles that prevent women from “having it all” in this clear-eyed and evidence-based study. Disputing the idea that women need to “lean in” to advance their careers, Goldin draws on employment surveys, census records, and other large data sets to show that because women are expected to bear the brunt of child-rearing duties, they don’t have time for the extensive travel, client entertainment, and 60-hour workweeks that lead to career success in fields such as law and accounting. As a result of working fewer hours than men in order to have enough time for childcare, women tend to miss out on promotions and earn less, on average, than their male peers. Goldin refers to the phenomenon as “greedy work” and cites the example of the pharmacy industry, where there is virtually no pay gap between male and female pharmacists and few incentives for pharmacists to work extra hours, as proof that requirement doesn’t need to exist, even within high-paying professions. Combining diligent research with acute observations, accessible case studies, and practical solutions, this is a refreshing take on a pernicious social problem. (Oct.)