Ebook: The Unfinished Revolution: How a New Generation is Reshaping Family, Work, and Gender in America

Another great book by Kathleen Gerson! In her exploration of work, family, gender change among young adults, she concludes with two major findings. First, the families that are the most successful are those that are the most flexible. Rather than adhering to rigid gender roles, these families are able to adjust behaviors based on their families' particular circumstances, which are bound to change over the life course. Second, she finds that the majority of respondents (age 18-31) desire an egalitarian relationship, but that they are circumspect about their chances of actually being able to live their desires. They understand that competing demands from an inflexible work place and home make this prospect extremely difficult. So they settle for second best. Gerson breaks down how women and men come to conclusions about what is second best and why this differs by gender. These are big findings on a subject that tends to be driven more by ideology than by empirical evidence! This book is worth a read in order to understand how young men and women understand and react to the social factors that continue to make egalitarian relationships out of reach for most families. It is well-written and the interviews are enlightening for anyone interested in learning about how men and women make decisions about family life.