Two Careers, One Family

Can a woman and a man, both of whom are career-oriented, achieve a loving and enduring relationship with children and also advance in their careers? Why is it that women more often than men push for dual-career marriages? What personal and societal difficulties and obstacles do they face? What special difficulties do men experience as a result of this phenomenon? Taking us to the frontier of close relationships--where traditional gender roles are being reevaluated in light of what is both functional and optimal for persons in dual-career partnerships--Two Careers / One Family describes the current world of women and men trying to negotiate new realities at home and at work. It offers a glimpse of the future and the potential that exists for creative restructuring of our concepts of gender. The first part of this unusual and compelling volume describes the societal context of young adults today; the second addresses, in detail, both expectations for and realities of dual-career family life. In the final section, the author makes predictions about the benefits of increased gender equity for same-sex and heterosexual dual-career couples and identifies continuing obstacles and sources of stress for partners in dual-career families. Stimulating, informative, and insightful, this volume is especially helpful to students and professionals in close relationships, gender studies, family studies, psychology, communication, counseling/clinical psychology, social work, and sociology. "It is Lucia Albino Gilbert's recognition of the complexities of the dual-career situation; the interrelations between family, work, and society; and the influence of theory on the very research questions being framed that make Two Careers/One Family: The Promise of Gender Equality more than a summary of current research data. Although Gilbert's own research focuses on the family and career choices of young adults, the book reaches far beyond that topic to place the dual-career family into historical, philosophical, and societal contexts. . . . This brief but comprehensive book would be of interest to any scholar of gender or family issues, whether in psychology, sociology, communications, or women's studies. Gilbert's readable style and useful chapter summaries also make it suitable as a supplementary text for advanced classes." --Contemporary Psychology "The inclusion of a discussion of what trends in dual-career families may mean for same-sex couples is particularly noteworthy. Family professionals, students, and interested lay people should all find this book valuable. It is both well-written and successful in providing a meaningful summary of what we currently know about dual-career families." --Family Relations "It wasn't until after my neighbor and I (he's a nationally known constitutional lawyer) got into a discussion of which detergents we preferred when doing the families' laundries that I realized how profoundly some parts of society are changing. We had often t...