Gayle Kaufman is Nancy and Erwin Maddrey Professor of Sociology and Gender & Sexuality Studies at Davidson College in North Carolina.
"Gayle Kaufman’s incisive analysis of parental leave policies in
the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Sweden convincingly demonstrates
that there is no need to choose between child well-being and
parental equality. By showing us what works—and what doesn’t—Fixing
Parental Leave offers a blueprint for addressing the deepening
caregiving crisis facing workers and parents worldwide. It deserves
the attention of anyone concerned about the fate of American
families, workplaces, and political culture at this critical
juncture in our history."
*Kathleen Gerson, author of The Unfinished Revolution: Coming of
Age in a New Era of Gender, Work, and Family*
"Kaufman provides a comprehensive and lively portrait of the
parental leave landscape in the United States—both public and
private—and demonstrates that the picture is bleak. She draws on
policy models operating in Sweden and the United Kingdom to craft
policy lessons, both inspirational and cautionary. The heart of
Kaufman’s book is a blueprint for the policy reforms that are
desperately needed in the United States – reforms that would enable
parents to better reconcile parenting and employment, while
promoting more gender-egalitarian divisions of labor. Ideally, the
book will land in the hands of American policy-makers at the
national, state, and local levels."
*Janet Gornick, author of Income Inequality: Economic Disparities
and the Middle Class in Affluent Countries*
"Inducing fury as it exposes American workplaces that give lip
service to family leave laws, but that do little to support new
families, the book shows that having children penalizes working
parents, who are shunted into “mommy track” jobs, miss out on
promotions, and depend on employers’ goodwill as they adapt.
Forwarding a nuanced perspective on the real consequences of leave
policies, [Fixing Parental Leave] compares the US to nations
including Sweden and the UK, and find that most successful leave
policies take fathers into account, too… The book’s suggestions are
enlightening, big picture ones that keep in mind the fact that
babies need parents who provide love and stability."
*Foreword Reviews*
"In Fixing Parental Leave, Kaufman argues that the US continues to
lead the world in its lack of support for families, made apparent
by its approach to parental leave. The author’s carefully
constructed case study of parental leave policies in the US, UK,
and Sweden reveals not only best policies and practices for
ensuring healthy families and maximizing women’s participation in
the labor force, but also illuminates the clear relationship
between parental leave and gender equality… [A] valuable
study."
*Choice*
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