Care and Equality: Inventing a New Family Politics [Paperback]

Mona Harrington (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415928222 | ISBN-13: 978-0415928229 | Publication Date: August 2000 | Edition: 1

Who is caring for America's children, for the elderly, the sick and the disabled? This book argues that in practical terms, the answer is - nobody. It is a clear, feminist reassessment of these issues that moves beyond stop-gap solutions like flexi-time and maternity leave. Harrington broadens the debate to redefine liberal "family values" and the programmes needed to realize them at home and at the office. The solutions, she suggests, will require both public and private support for health care, family leave, good wages for care workers and decent housing.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The enormous shift of American women from full-time, unpaid homemakers to members of the paid workforce, Mona Harrington argues, reveals the extent to which the care of the American family once rested on their shoulders--and she believes that this societal change, with its benefits and problems, requires correspondingly large changes in public policy. Care and Equality is a clear-eyed, intelligent assessment of the social policies of the Clinton era and why their proponents have been unable to bring about healthy policy reform. Harrington, inspired by her strong belief in the liberal movement's capacity to effect positive change, outlines her own agenda: "To assure good care to all members of the society should become a primary principle of our common life," she writes, "along with the assurance of liberty, equality and justice." Care and Equality is an enlightening read for policymakers and electorate both. --Maria Dolan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

"In spite of the fact that most American women are in the paid workforce, we have not taken full account of what that means. We are operating as if they were still at home much of the time taking care of their families," writes Harrington in this book, which examines the collapsing care system and suggests solutions for establishing a new one. Harrington, an attorney and author (Women Lawyers, LJ 1/94), believes that women are unlikely to return home to do care work, for reasons of both economics and equality. Therefore, she says, care must be adopted as a national priority. After evaluating liberal positions on family and care issues, Harrington urges liberals to promote policies that provide meaningful support for care systems and explore new responses to the continuing collapse of those systems. This thorough and thoughtful look at the issues is strongly slanted toward liberal, government-centered solutions. An optional choice for academic political science collections.AJill Ortner, SILS, SUNY at Buffalo
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (August 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415928222
• ISBN-13: 978-0415928229
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,510,214 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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