Families and Work: New Directions in the Twenty-First Century

Families and Work: New Directions in the Twenty-First Century provides an innovative framework for understanding the interface between family care and employment. It offers a detailed analysis of the needs and experiences of employed care-givers and examines the full range of employees' family care responsibilities, including the care of children, ill and disabled working-age adults, and the frail elderly. It also explores the impact of gender, race and ethnicity, and occupational roles in meeting multiple employment and family demands. Based on a critical review of research findings and conceptual approaches that have been used for understanding the integration of family care and work, this text examines the stress experienced by care-givers, the impact of multiple responsibilities, and the programmes and benefits used to help alleviate conflicts between work and family. It also provides an in-depth look at the prevalence and types of care provided. A major focus of the book is the importance of forming an alliance among family, business, government, and the larger community to address the issues of work and family. The authors evaluate a variety of workplace programmes, benefits, and policies that have been designed to support employees in meeting their work and family responsibilities. They outline new programmes and public policies that are equitable to employees most in need and that respond effectively to the growing number of employed care-givers. Families and Work: New Directions in the Twenty-First Century is an essential text for courses in social work and the health and human services, psychology, and sociology.