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| About the book |
The author suggests that maternity constitutes women's work, with some women `expected' to produce children, while others are criticised for giving birth. She calls for the re-conceptualization of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding as forms of labour ' asserting that mothers are required to perform particular forms of body work in order to comply with ideals of `good' mothering and norms of the workplace. The book observes that these are conflicting requirements, which place irreconcilable demands on women and constrain women's choice. At the heart of Embodying Women's Work is the idea that women's bodies are central to gendered power relations, and remain a negotiated site of power between men and women within late modern society. The book considers women's bodies in the context of different forms of paid work, discussing how far women remain at an economic disadvantage in comparison with male workers. Embodying Women's Work is of key interest for students and academics of sociology, social welfare and women's studies. |
| About the authors |
Caroline Gatrell is Lecturer in Management Learning and Leadership in the Management School at Lancaster University, UK. She is author of Hard Labour: The Sociology of Parenthood (Open University Press, 2005) and Managing Part-time Study (Open University Press, 2006). |
| Table of contents |
1 Introduction `Embodying Women's Work' 2 Positioning Women's Bodies within Sociology 3 Who May Labour? Reproduction and the `right' body 4 Pregnancy Work: Narratives of `good' mothering and the embodied norms of the workplace 5 Love is Not Enough: Birth, breastfeeding and employment 6 To Honour and Obey: An overview of women's productive work 7 Angels in The House: Politicians and professionals 8 Angels in the house: Cleaning and caring 9 I'm Mandy, Fly Me: Women, sexuality and paid work 10 A Force to be Reckoned With: Women in uniform 11 Conclusions |
