Review Of "The Economics Of Work And Family" Edited By J. Kimmel And E. P. Hoffman

Document Type

Book Review

Publication Date

7-1-2003

Published In

Choice

Abstract

Edited by Kimmel and Hoffman (Western Michigan Univ.), this volume comprises a brief introductory summary and six chapters originally presented as part of a series sponsored by Western Michigan University and the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. All authors employ an economic perspective but present the text and data in an accessible, nontechnical manner. Topics covered include child care policy and family leave policy (D. Blau, B. Bergmann, and K. Phillips) and the complex interrelationships among family, fertility, employment, and policy (C. Reimer, S. Averett, and J. Jacobsen) and engage such challenging puzzles as the appropriate role for the government at the intersection of the family and the labor market. Policy-oriented chapters document the current status of policy and recommend changes to enhance positive effects. Although each chapter easily stands on its own, as a collection this work would be enhanced by a synthetic final chapter to help readers integrate the material and determine what unanswered questions remain. Nevertheless, as a whole, chapters embrace the broad range of topics from decisions about family formation and employment through policies and institutions that exist to facilitate labor force participation by parents; this breadth is one of the book's strengths. Summing Up: Recommended. Public, academic (upper-division undergraduate and up), and professional collections.

Comments

This work is freely available courtesy of Choice Reviews. The review has been reproduced in full in the abstract field.

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