• About Us
• Family Research Scholars Program
• Methodology Program and Consulting Services
• Tay Gavin Erickson Lectures
• Research and Grants
• Rudd Endowed Chair: Adoption Research
• Contact Us

Program

• Program of Events:
  Oct. 30-31

• Speaker Bios

• Readings

Registration

• How to Register

Where and When

• Campus Center

• Travel and Accommodations

October 30-31, 2008

"Women and Work: Choices and Constraints"

A conference at the University of Massachusetts Amherst

In the fall of 2003, the New York Times published a controversial article entitled “the Opt-Out Revolution,” in which the author, Lisa Belkin, spoke of a growing trend among well-educated professional women to “opt-out” of the workplace upon becoming mothers. This “opt-out” revolution piece spawned a flurry of popular interest in the subject of women’s choice to climb the professional ladder or to “opt out” and parent. Many critiques followed, arguing that, in fact, women’s employment rates, including for mothers, have been increasing over time, and those women who leave the labor force often are not making a positive choice, but being pushed out or otherwise “mommy-tracked.” Others noted the importance of recognizing how class and status may be shaping these processes differently for different groups of women.

Certainly, women have made gains in equal access to education and employment and companies have gained from the influx of talented women into the workforce. However, there are still many questions about the choices and constraints for low income women workers and professional women. Do current laws and policies support or constrain women’s choices regarding work and family?

In order to explore these issues, the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Center for Research on Families will host a two-day symposium on “Women and Work: Choices and Constraints” to be held on campus on October 30-31, 2008. The focus of the symposium will be on key workplace challenges for women in the 21st century by reconsidering the notion of 'opting out'.

Contact wendy@sbs.umass.edu for more information.

This conference is presented by the Center for Research on Families with support from the University of Massachusetts Amherst Office of the Vice Provost for Research through a Leadership in Action Award.

Additional contributors include: the University of Massachusetts Amherst Alumni Association, the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, causemedia, inc., Easthampton Savings Bank, Finck and Perras Insurance Agency, the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts, the Center for Public Policy and Administration, UMass Amherst Women's Studies Program, UMass Amherst Everywoman's Center, Hampshire College Feminist Studies Program, the Women's and Gender Studies Department at Amherst College, the Gender Studies Department at Mount Holyoke College, and Motherwoman, Inc..

Special thanks goes to the many alumni who have provided both significant contributions and enthusiastic support.