Synopses & Reviews
In the pathbreaking tradition of
Backlash and
The Second Shift, this provocative book shows how mothers are systematically disadvantaged and made dependent by a society that exploits those who perform its most critical work. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and the most current research in economics, history, child development, and law, Ann Crittenden proves that although women have been liberated, mothers have not.
The costs of motherhood are everywhere apparent. College-educated women pay a "mommy tax" of over a million dollars in lost income when they have a child. Family law deprives mothers of financial equality in marriage. Stay-at-home mothers and their work are left out of the GDP, the labor force, and the social safety net. With passion and clarity, Crittenden demonstrates that proper rewards for mothers' essential contributions would only enhance the general welfare.
Bold, galvanizing, full of innovative solutions, The Price of Motherhood offers a much-needed accounting of the price that mothers pay for performing the most important job in the world.
Ann Crittenden is the author of Killing the Sacred Cows: Bold Ideas for a New Economy. A former reporter for The New York Times and a Pulitzer Prize nominee, she has also been a financial writer for Newsweek, a visiting lecturer at M.I.T. and Yale, and an economics commentator on CBS News. Her articles have appeared in Fortune, The Nation, Foreign Affairs, McCalls, and Working Woman, among others. She lives with her husband and son in Washington, D.C.
Award-winning economics journalist Crittenden argues that although women have been liberated, mothers have not. Drawing on hundreds of interviews around the country and the most current research in economics, sociology, history, child development, and law, she shows how mothers are systematically disadvantaged and made dependent by a society that praises the virtues of child-rearing but undervalues and even exploits their labor.
The price of motherhood is everywhere apparent. College-educated women pay a "mommy tax" of more than a million dollars in lost income when they have a child. Family law deprives mothers of financial equality in marriage. Most child care is excluded from the Gross Domestic Product, at-home mothers are not counted in the labor force, and the social safety net simply leaves them out. With passion and clarity, Crittenden dismantles the principal argument for the status quo: that motherhood is a woman's "choice." She presents a powerful case for maternal equality on the grounds that proper recognition and reward for mothers' essential contributions would enhance the welfare of not only women and children, but of everyone.
Galvanizing and full of innovative solutions, The Price of Motherhood offers a much-needed accounting of the penalties mothers pay to carry out society's most important job.
"Welcome to America, the land where having a child is the worst economic decision a woman can make . . . an important and well-argued study of the huge disparity between the value that mothers produce and the price they are forced to pay."Catherine Arnst, Business Week
"Powerful and important . . . Written with a fine passion, The Price of Motherhood challenges the received ideas of economists, feminists and conservatives alike and ought to be read by all of them."Paul Starr, The New York Times Book Review
"Fascinating . . . shows how women have been consistently denied social and, more importantly, monetary equality for raising their families."Susan Straight, Los Angeles Times
"A scathing indictment of policies that cheat mothers . . . Crittenden turns out a fresh, persuasive argument. Sure to inspire vigorous debate."Megan Rutherford, Time
"A landmark book."The San Francisco Chronicle
"Motherhood may be sacred to Americans, but actual mothering is consistently devalued and disrespected. This profoundly important book challenges us to examine how much we really care about childrenor about the work of caring in general."Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed
"Those who nurture young children are essentially punished for performing the very task that everyone agrees is essential . . . Crittenden proposes a unique solution to the motherhood penalty: Consider the work done by mothers a vital national service akin to that performed by soldiers."Glamour
"Welcome to America, the land where having a child is the worst economic decision a woman can make . . . an important and well-argued study of the huge disparity between the value that mothers produce and the price they are forced to pay."Catherine Arnst, Business Week
"How do we bring children up without putting women down? In this important, well-written book, Ann Crittenden offers serious answers to this preeminent feminist-and human-question. A must read."Arlie Russell Hochschild, author of The Time Bind and The Second Shift
"A bracing call to arms . . . Crittenden rows against the ideological current and 0has the temerity to suggest a mind-blowingly sensible alteration of America's present parenting arrangements."Ben Dickinson, Elle
"A lively and compelling account of the ways maternal altruism subsidizes our entire economy but imposes high costs on mothers themselves. Ann Crittenden deftly combines facts, figures, interviews, and personal stories to document the unfairand inefficientdistribution of the costs of rearing children. She has written a great and important book."Nancy Folbre, author of The Invisible Heart
"Passionately argued and closely researched, this manifesto for mothers should spark plenty of debate over all the right issues."Katha Pollitt, author of Reasonable Creatures: Essays on Women and Feminism
"Heavily supported with studies, her clearly stated, intelligently developed arguments include historical background and anecdotal evidence that conduces to making the thought-provoking book easy to read. Crittenden explores motherhood in the U.S. from shortly after the country was founded to the present. She demonstrates that, in white-collar as well as blue-collar jobs, the earning gap between childless women and working mothers is significantly greater than the one between childless women and men, and she describes the types of discrimination working mothers typically encounter in the workplace and society at large. She maintains that feminists, afraid of being stereotyped by their detractors, have abandoned working mothers, focusing instead on women who have chosen career over familyin other words, who have chosen to take on the traditional male role. Crittenden's critique of our treatment of mothers, working or otherwise, may prove vital to continued efforts to improve the status of all women in the U.S."Bonnie Johnston, Booklist
Review
"Written with a fine passion,
The Price of Motherhood challenges the received ideas of economists, feminists and conservatives alike and ought to be read by all of them."-Paul Starr,
The New York Times Book Review"A bracing call to arms...Crittenden rows against the ideological current and has the temerity to suggest a mind-blowingly sensible alteration of America's present parenting arrangements."-Ben Dickinson, Elle
"Fascinating...shows how women have been consistently denied social and, more importantly, monetary equality for raising their families."-Susan Straight, Los Angeles Times
"A scathing indictment of policies that cheat mothers...Crittenden turns out a fresh, persuasive argument. Sure to inspire vigorous debate."-Megan Rutherford, Time
"Powerful and important"--The New York Times
Synopsis
In the pathbreaking tradition of
Backlash and
The Second Shift, this provocative book shows how mothers are systematically disadvantaged and made dependent by a society that exploits those who perform its most critical work. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and the most current research in economics, history, child development, and law, Ann Crittenden proves that although women have been liberated, mothers have not.
The costs of motherhood are everywhere apparent. College-educated women pay a "mommy tax" of over a million dollars in lost income when they have a child. Family law deprives mothers of financial equality in marriage. Stay-at-home mothers and their work are left out of the GDP, the labor force, and the social safety net. With passion and clarity, Crittenden demonstrates that proper rewards for mothers' essential contributions would only enhance the general welfare.
Bold, galvanizing, full of innovative solutions, The Price of Motherhood offers a much-needed accounting of the price that mothers pay for performing the most important job in the world.
About the Author
Ann Crittenden is the author of
Killing the Sacred Cows: Bold Ideas for a New Economy. A former reporter for
The New York Times and a Pulitzer Prize nominee, she has also been a financial writer for
Newsweek, a visiting lecturer at M.I.T. and Yale, and an economics commentator on
CBS News. Her articles have appeared in
Fortune, The
Nation,
Foreign Affairs,
McCalls, and
Working Woman, among others. She lives with her husband and son in Washington, D.C.
Reading Group Guide
1. Ann Crittenden states in her first footnote that she defines “mother” as any caregiver, male or female. How does that detail effect her portrayal of parenting issues throughout the book? What motivates society to assume that women are better candidates for motherhood than men?
2. For female readers: If you and your husband earned exactly the same amount, but neither of you were allowed to work part-time, would you feel comfortable becoming the wage-earner while your husband stayed home with the kids?
3. How much more would you be willing to pay in taxes if it meant that the U.S. would implement the Swedish plan, which grants mothers a full year of maternity leave with government subsidies equal to 75% of their salaries, and the French system of top-notch government-sponsored day care for all?
4. Compare your mother's parenting situation to yours. While things have improved for working women in the past 30 years, how do you think modern mothers and children fared? Are single parents and their children better or worse off than 30 years ago?
5. For married readers with children: If your spouse werent in your life, how would you make up for his or her contribution toward raising your children? What safety nets, if any, would be available to you immediately?
6. Consider the story of Tony Williams, the foster child who was assumed to be retarded but, thanks to a chance adoption by loving parents, proved to be highly intelligent and even became mayor of Washington, D.C.. What do you think the outlook is for todays Tony Williamses? Is the well of “irrational” mother love in danger of running dry?
7. What do you consider to be the greatest hurdle in the road to equal rights and equal compensation for mothers?
8. Almost twice as many male CEOs as female CEOs have children. Do you believe that corporate America can change to accommodate working mothers? Are 80-hour work weeks really necessary for profit making, or are they the just a byproduct of irrational business philosophies?
9. Do you think that the number of children a father has, across multiple marriages, should be taken into consideration when determining child support amounts?
10. Did any of Ann Crittendens statistics contradict your assumptions about motherhood? How did The Price of Motherhood affect your own decision-making and perspectives on parenting?
11. What has the price of motherhood been for you? Which of the books case studies resonated particularly strongly with you?
12. With waning support from the National Organization for Women, and no prospect of unionization, how can Americas mothers create an audible voice for change?
13. Evaluate Ann Crittendens proposals for change. Which ones would be most relevant to your situation? Which ones do you think are most likely to become enacted within the next five years?