The Part-time Paradox: Time Norms, Professional Life, Family and Gender

by Epstein,Cynthia Fuchs

• ISBN13: 9780415921244
• ISBN10: 0415921244
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 1998-12-11
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Today's professionals, especially women, are caught in a time paradox: can they build a career and a family at the same time?The Part-time Paradoxexplores the conflict and tension between the time demands of career and family life, and the choice of part-time work as a solution. The changing demographics of the family and the work place make it increasingly difficult for both men and women to meet the escalating time pressures facing a doctor, lawyer or manager. This book examines the social problems associated with demanding work schedules and choices, and also illustrates successful alternatives to full-time employment. It draws on interviews with attorneys in large law firms, in-house corporate counsels, and government service in order to explore the multiple dimensions of the part-time work solution. Although attitudes are beginning to change, one of the greatest impediments to part-time work is the stigma attached to it in many organizations, and the consequences for the careers ofindividuals who take it. Professionals define themselves, in part, by their commitment to overtime. The authors reveal how cultural perspectives of the "true professional," part-time work, and stereotypes about gender roles can influence both an individual's decision making process and office policy. They show that in an environment where professionals perceive part-time work as deviant, it may require not just perserverance, but also a trade-off between time flexibility and professional status. The authors consider issues ranging from job security and the consequences of new technology, to the economics of part-time work and the division of labor in the family.The Part-timeParadoxprovides a timely overview of a growing crisis, as part-time and flex-time work arrangements increase.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
PART I THE SOCIAL MEANING OF PROFESSIONAL TIME	1	(26)
Introduction	3	(8)
The Social Context of Time Deviance	11	(6)
Time and the Practices and Rituals of the Legal Profession	17	(10)
PART II CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES ON PART-TIME WORK AND ITS CONSEQUENCES	27	(26)
Part-Time Work as Deviance: Stigmatization and Its Consequences	29	(10)
Perspectives on Accommodating Part-Time Work	39	(8)
Calculating the Economics of Part-Time Work	47	(6)
PART III CAREER ISSUES AND PROBLEMS IN PART-TIME LEGAL WORK	53	(48)
Mobility	55	(20)
Job Security and Insecurity: The Vulnerability of Part-Time Positions	75	(4)
Part-Time Status and Rank Discrepancies: Status Incongruity	79	(4)
Commitment and Professional Status	83	(8)
Collegiality	91	(4)
Justice and Fairness	95	(6)
PART IV THE FAMILY AND PART-TIME WORK	101	(20)
Parents, Children, Child Care, and the Division of Labor in the Family	103	(18)
PART V TECHNOLOGY	121	(10)
Technology and Part-Time Lawyering	123	(8)
PART VI	131	(6)
Conclusion	133	(4)
PART VII APPENDICES	137	(20)
A. Research Methodology	139	(4)
B. Part-Time Work Policies and Issues They Cover	143	(6)
C. Tables	149	(8)
Bibliography	157	(8)
Endnotes	165	(8)
Index	173