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Faktor XX. Jak pracujące kobiety tworzą nowe społeczeństwo
Obecnie po raz pierwszy w historii dziesiątki milionów kobiet zajmuje najlepsze, wysoko wykwalifikowane stanowiska na rynku pracy. Doskonale wykształcone i szalenie ambitne panie wykonują zawody niegdyś zarezerwowane dla ich ojców, mężów i synów. Zmiana ma charakter światowy.
W tej książce Alison Wolf przedstawia konsekwencje tej rewolucji: czemu lepiej wykształcone kobiety więcej pracują i winnych godzinach, czemu prawniczki noszą zawrotnie wysokie obcasy, jak przekłada się to na życie intymne i spadek dzietności, oraz kto tak naprawdę bierze na siebie obowiązki domowe. To przełomowa publikacja, w której autorka przeplata dane statystyczne z całego świata z wiedzą ekonomiczną, psychologiczną, historyczną, a całość okrasza ilustracjami ze współczesnego życia.
To prawdziwa Biblia dla każdego, kto chce się dowiedzieć czegoś o współczesnych kobietach.
"The Guardian"
Książka Alison Wolf to błyskotliwy, klarowny i oryginalny wkład w dyskusję o kobietach i współczesnej gospodarce. Jeśli sprawy kobiet, pracy i rodziny w dzisiejszym świecie są dla ciebie ważne, to ta zaangażowana, obfitująca w fakty pozycja to lektura obowiązkowa.
Chrystia Freeland, autorka książki Plutocrats
źródło opisu: Muza, 2015
źródło okładki: www.muza.com.pl
W tej książce Alison Wolf przedstawia konsekwencje tej rewolucji: czemu lepiej wykształcone kobiety więcej pracują i winnych godzinach, czemu prawniczki noszą zawrotnie wysokie obcasy, jak przekłada się to na życie intymne i spadek dzietności, oraz kto tak naprawdę bierze na siebie obowiązki domowe. To przełomowa publikacja, w której autorka przeplata dane statystyczne z całego świata z wiedzą ekonomiczną, psychologiczną, historyczną, a całość okrasza ilustracjami ze współczesnego życia.
To prawdziwa Biblia dla każdego, kto chce się dowiedzieć czegoś o współczesnych kobietach.
"The Guardian"
Książka Alison Wolf to błyskotliwy, klarowny i oryginalny wkład w dyskusję o kobietach i współczesnej gospodarce. Jeśli sprawy kobiet, pracy i rodziny w dzisiejszym świecie są dla ciebie ważne, to ta zaangażowana, obfitująca w fakty pozycja to lektura obowiązkowa.
Chrystia Freeland, autorka książki Plutocrats
źródło opisu: Muza, 2015
źródło okładki: www.muza.com.pl
592 pages, Paperback
First published April 25, 2013
39 people are currently reading
963 people want to read
About the author
Alison Wolf
21 books13 followersAlison is a British author, academic and journalist, who also lived and worked for 10 years in the US, and manages to return there frequently. Her day job is in central central London, at King's College London, where she runs a public management Masters programme; but she also presents programmes for BBC Radio (Radio 4)and writes widely for national newspapers and magazines. Her most recent book, The XX Factor, was 'born of a sudden realization. People kept talking about 'women' as though we all had vast amounts in common. But this is completely wrong. The arrival on the planet of 70 million graduate, professional women has changed our societies from top to bottom, in ways we are only just starting to understand. Today's professional women are historically unique, and the book is about them. Since I'm one of them, it is also about my and my generation's lives. But it also about the differences between these 70 million and other women, and the widening gulf that spells the end of sisterhood.'
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 13, 2013
Wolf's report, which is empirically grounded, challenges a lot of assumptions that we all make about women today. Among other things, she reports that men and women are treated more or less equally in the workplace (once one is comparing like for like) and that there is no second shift for women -- in fact, men and women now put in roughly the same average number of (total, i.e., home plus outside) working hours. She also reports that it is the graduate-educated professionals with the longest average working hours of employment who record the most time with their children. The supposed opt-out of women in 2000, much discussed in recent media, she seems also to argue, never happened; it was just a recession. Her book is grounded in piles of data over decades in the major western and some non-western countries, and the data are surprising. I would say the book is worth reading for chapter 4 (second shift) alone. And anyone on the fence about the value of university education (or, more precisely, the need for it) should read chapter 5. Depressing as shit about the elite being critical and everything else being an utter wash. Ultimately the information about the gap between elite women and other women is the most helpful and interesting (and confirmed my own experience). It was a pleasure to read something in this space that is grounded in, and presents, hard data -- rather than hand waving.
May 13, 2014
This book was so boring! It was written like someone's thesis that they tried to turn into a book. All 250 pages were written to tell about data and there were 5 pages of conclusion at the end.
Aside from being written poorly, I couldn't stand a few things about the author's tone. She was so derogatory to women who don't have higher education and don't make a lot of money. So much so that she used the term "elite" over and over for the women she talked about in the book who earned a lot of money and worked in prestigious full time jobs. Get over yourself! You are not better than someone else because you have attended college and make more money than the next woman.
Another thing that irritated me is this author comes across as someone who is a working mother who is trying to justify her choice to work full time. I am all for supporting however a woman chooses to participate in her own family. I just can't stand it when judgment is passed when others don't make your same decision.
The last obnoxious element of this book (that I will mention) is the author acts like it is preposterous and extremely ignorant for an educated woman to actually choose not to work. She can't imagine a woman actually wanting to spend her days volunteering, cooking meals for her family and being available for her children when they get home from school. Can you even imagine a society where this happens??
Okay, stepping off my soapbox.
Aside from being written poorly, I couldn't stand a few things about the author's tone. She was so derogatory to women who don't have higher education and don't make a lot of money. So much so that she used the term "elite" over and over for the women she talked about in the book who earned a lot of money and worked in prestigious full time jobs. Get over yourself! You are not better than someone else because you have attended college and make more money than the next woman.
Another thing that irritated me is this author comes across as someone who is a working mother who is trying to justify her choice to work full time. I am all for supporting however a woman chooses to participate in her own family. I just can't stand it when judgment is passed when others don't make your same decision.
The last obnoxious element of this book (that I will mention) is the author acts like it is preposterous and extremely ignorant for an educated woman to actually choose not to work. She can't imagine a woman actually wanting to spend her days volunteering, cooking meals for her family and being available for her children when they get home from school. Can you even imagine a society where this happens??
Okay, stepping off my soapbox.
October 29, 2013
I received a copy of "The XX Factor" from Goodreads' giveaway program. I was excited to receive this book because I am interesting in women's roles in society and the impact of those choices on women's advancement. The word that keeps coming to my mind to describe this book is: overwhelming.
The book contained an overwhelming amount of statistical information, and it became too much to read. As a result, the reading of this book was not enjoyable. The author obviously did an immense amount of research before writing this, but I felt that the statistics took over the main points the author tried to make. Additionally, Wolf stacked that information so close together that I barely digested the information from one sentence before she bounced to a new topic in the next sentence where she provided even more facts. Although the book was separated into chapters, and even had subheadings, there was no easy way to discern what was being discussed from page to page. Wolf focused on individuals to illustrate her points, but the amount of time she discussed these women was too short to allow me to connect with them or truly understand their situations.
There were several parts of the book that I identified and agreed with, such as men's limited assistance with household duties even when the wife is also working. But, topics such as these were addressed so quickly, there just wasn't time to fully take in the scope of what Wolf was saying.
As far as content, this book deserves 5 stars. But, the writing style didn't make the information accessible or interesting to a large audience, and for that reason, I rated it with 3 stars.
The book contained an overwhelming amount of statistical information, and it became too much to read. As a result, the reading of this book was not enjoyable. The author obviously did an immense amount of research before writing this, but I felt that the statistics took over the main points the author tried to make. Additionally, Wolf stacked that information so close together that I barely digested the information from one sentence before she bounced to a new topic in the next sentence where she provided even more facts. Although the book was separated into chapters, and even had subheadings, there was no easy way to discern what was being discussed from page to page. Wolf focused on individuals to illustrate her points, but the amount of time she discussed these women was too short to allow me to connect with them or truly understand their situations.
There were several parts of the book that I identified and agreed with, such as men's limited assistance with household duties even when the wife is also working. But, topics such as these were addressed so quickly, there just wasn't time to fully take in the scope of what Wolf was saying.
As far as content, this book deserves 5 stars. But, the writing style didn't make the information accessible or interesting to a large audience, and for that reason, I rated it with 3 stars.
May 11, 2015
I had high hopes for how this started out but it never really clicked. It spends as much time going over the differences between men and women and the changes in women's situations in the past century--which things have already been gone over a lot in other books and popular culture--as the ostensible thesis of inequality among women currently.
I get that you need those first two things for groundwork, but then she kind of skitters over the third bit without ever going in depth. The actual point of the book seems to be that as the top quintile pulls away from the rest, women are included in it, often because of their own efforts rather than marriage alone. In other words, it's a book on inequality with an explanation of how female alphas are in many ways identical to male alphas. Which does prove her point, but I was expecting a different take. It means that the book is basically a study of alpha females and alpha couples with almost no material on middle- and lower- class women, which, you know, you'd think you would need material on the whole spectrum of the class you're ostensibly talking about.
It's not strictly a lack of material, because they show up on the graphs, but a qualitative lack. There's little narrative description of their state and it's always abstract, unlike the 1%-ers biographies or the constant snippets of interviews and conversations she's had with alpha acquaintances either in posh restaurants or at their offices.
What's unsatisfying about this story is that it's sort of obvious. Assortative mating, where high-achieving professionals marry each other, naturally leads to disproportionate inequality among households. I already knew about that. Beyond that, the fact that women who go to ivies are dong better than women who didn't also isn't news. We never really zoom out to the broad picture like I was expecting. If I'd known it was just going to be a paean to top dog females I might have settled in for that and enjoyed it more.
About a third of the book is the notes at the end. I was quite surprised when I got to the end and wished she had gone more in depth during the book proper. In some later chapters she'd say something like, 'as established in chapter 2,' and I was like, 'did we establish that in chapter 2? I thought she was introducing the idea and was going to establish it more firmly later.' But apparently, no.
There were some interesting insights in the book and it wasn't ever boring, it just felt sort of dilute in regards to its main point.
Some things I enjoyed: a couple minor citation-needed insights, like conveying that a restaurant is posh by pointing out that there are no overweight people in it, or the insight that the "dumpy italian housewife" disappeared when divorce laws came along. Or the point that "feminine" jobs, those in the caring industry, etc., have become more likely to require college education than traditionally male jobs--car repair, etc. (On the one hand this sort of white-collar-izes these jobs, on the other hand the lifetime earnings are hampered by initial student debt. That's my takeaway, at least.) Or there's a whole chapter on the charitable and social work that used to take up the days of upper-class educated females. The result of women taking professional jobs is that a) now we simply don't have anyone filling those roles, and b) "women's issues" have narrowed to those aspects only concerning women, whereas in the past it encompassed a broader social justice view, poverty, pacifism, temperance, etc.
I get that you need those first two things for groundwork, but then she kind of skitters over the third bit without ever going in depth. The actual point of the book seems to be that as the top quintile pulls away from the rest, women are included in it, often because of their own efforts rather than marriage alone. In other words, it's a book on inequality with an explanation of how female alphas are in many ways identical to male alphas. Which does prove her point, but I was expecting a different take. It means that the book is basically a study of alpha females and alpha couples with almost no material on middle- and lower- class women, which, you know, you'd think you would need material on the whole spectrum of the class you're ostensibly talking about.
It's not strictly a lack of material, because they show up on the graphs, but a qualitative lack. There's little narrative description of their state and it's always abstract, unlike the 1%-ers biographies or the constant snippets of interviews and conversations she's had with alpha acquaintances either in posh restaurants or at their offices.
What's unsatisfying about this story is that it's sort of obvious. Assortative mating, where high-achieving professionals marry each other, naturally leads to disproportionate inequality among households. I already knew about that. Beyond that, the fact that women who go to ivies are dong better than women who didn't also isn't news. We never really zoom out to the broad picture like I was expecting. If I'd known it was just going to be a paean to top dog females I might have settled in for that and enjoyed it more.
About a third of the book is the notes at the end. I was quite surprised when I got to the end and wished she had gone more in depth during the book proper. In some later chapters she'd say something like, 'as established in chapter 2,' and I was like, 'did we establish that in chapter 2? I thought she was introducing the idea and was going to establish it more firmly later.' But apparently, no.
There were some interesting insights in the book and it wasn't ever boring, it just felt sort of dilute in regards to its main point.
Some things I enjoyed: a couple minor citation-needed insights, like conveying that a restaurant is posh by pointing out that there are no overweight people in it, or the insight that the "dumpy italian housewife" disappeared when divorce laws came along. Or the point that "feminine" jobs, those in the caring industry, etc., have become more likely to require college education than traditionally male jobs--car repair, etc. (On the one hand this sort of white-collar-izes these jobs, on the other hand the lifetime earnings are hampered by initial student debt. That's my takeaway, at least.) Or there's a whole chapter on the charitable and social work that used to take up the days of upper-class educated females. The result of women taking professional jobs is that a) now we simply don't have anyone filling those roles, and b) "women's issues" have narrowed to those aspects only concerning women, whereas in the past it encompassed a broader social justice view, poverty, pacifism, temperance, etc.
December 3, 2013
By Christopher Swann
Inequality is the dark side of leaning in. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, used “Lean In” as the title of her book about how women should be more assertive. Alison Wolf shows in “The XX Factor” that elite females are already catching up with male peers. Wolf, a professor of public sector management at King’s College London, shows gains at the top have only been possible because of a revival of a distinctly non-elite occupation: the “female servant”. The result is a rising income gap among women.
Sandberg laments that women account for less than a tenth of America’s best paid executives. Wolf gives alpha females more encouragement. Women make up half of the top 2 percent of U.S. earners. The pay of female physicians and surgeons in the United States has climbed about 50 percent faster than that of their male peers over the past decade. The salaries of the small cadre of female chief executives have also climbed faster. Women get a bigger salary boost from higher education than men.
Such strides are long overdue, Wolf argues in her fascinating new book. The narrowing gender gap, however, has exacerbated income inequality between social classes. Elite women depend for their newfound freedom on a growing underclass of modern servants providing childcare and performing other domestic chores. About 97 percent of childcare workers are women, according to the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire. The salaries of such workers have been falling even further behind. Females are twice as likely as men to be earning the minimum wage, America’s Congressional Research Service now reckons. As a result, the much discussed surge in inequality is even more pronounced among women.
Of course, this would not be boosting overall income inequality if women were merely substituting men in the workplace. Instead, high-powered women usually want alpha fathers for their children. Only about 3.5 percent of American families have stay-at-home dads, according to Census Bureau figures. Even many of these men do not seem to be the main caregivers and are only at home because they can’t find work.
In effect, desirable gender equality supports undesirable social inequality. The privileged save and invest, the rest of the population scrounge and borrow. The social hierarchy is becoming more rigid, as highly successful women use their economic and social resources to ease their children’s path to the top.
Wolf points out that there’s no easy way out of this trap. Better educated women could not gain ground on men without some sort of female underclass. In the United States, the support staff is mostly immigrants from developing nations.
Still, Wolf argues, inequality between women can be tempered. Fairer access to education won’t on its own reduce the quantity of women in low-paying jobs. But it would give low-income girls a better chance of breaking out of relative poverty. A privileged upbringing should not be the dominant factor determining which people – women and men – occupy the top jobs. Higher tax rates on higher earners would also make it possible to provide better welfare services to women stuck in low-paid work.
An increasing number of women can have it all. Sadly, as Wolf convincingly argues, it seems that society as a whole cannot.
Inequality is the dark side of leaning in. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, used “Lean In” as the title of her book about how women should be more assertive. Alison Wolf shows in “The XX Factor” that elite females are already catching up with male peers. Wolf, a professor of public sector management at King’s College London, shows gains at the top have only been possible because of a revival of a distinctly non-elite occupation: the “female servant”. The result is a rising income gap among women.
Sandberg laments that women account for less than a tenth of America’s best paid executives. Wolf gives alpha females more encouragement. Women make up half of the top 2 percent of U.S. earners. The pay of female physicians and surgeons in the United States has climbed about 50 percent faster than that of their male peers over the past decade. The salaries of the small cadre of female chief executives have also climbed faster. Women get a bigger salary boost from higher education than men.
Such strides are long overdue, Wolf argues in her fascinating new book. The narrowing gender gap, however, has exacerbated income inequality between social classes. Elite women depend for their newfound freedom on a growing underclass of modern servants providing childcare and performing other domestic chores. About 97 percent of childcare workers are women, according to the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire. The salaries of such workers have been falling even further behind. Females are twice as likely as men to be earning the minimum wage, America’s Congressional Research Service now reckons. As a result, the much discussed surge in inequality is even more pronounced among women.
Of course, this would not be boosting overall income inequality if women were merely substituting men in the workplace. Instead, high-powered women usually want alpha fathers for their children. Only about 3.5 percent of American families have stay-at-home dads, according to Census Bureau figures. Even many of these men do not seem to be the main caregivers and are only at home because they can’t find work.
In effect, desirable gender equality supports undesirable social inequality. The privileged save and invest, the rest of the population scrounge and borrow. The social hierarchy is becoming more rigid, as highly successful women use their economic and social resources to ease their children’s path to the top.
Wolf points out that there’s no easy way out of this trap. Better educated women could not gain ground on men without some sort of female underclass. In the United States, the support staff is mostly immigrants from developing nations.
Still, Wolf argues, inequality between women can be tempered. Fairer access to education won’t on its own reduce the quantity of women in low-paying jobs. But it would give low-income girls a better chance of breaking out of relative poverty. A privileged upbringing should not be the dominant factor determining which people – women and men – occupy the top jobs. Higher tax rates on higher earners would also make it possible to provide better welfare services to women stuck in low-paid work.
An increasing number of women can have it all. Sadly, as Wolf convincingly argues, it seems that society as a whole cannot.
October 1, 2013
Alison Wolf traces the journey women have taken from the kitchen the the classrooms, courtrooms and beyond. Though laden with statistics and history this doesn't bring on yawns, instead it makes you consider your place in the great machine of progress and wonder at the lives of the brave ladies who came before you, and more importantly, consider the implications for the future.
From start to finish Wolf uses Jane Austen as an example of the progress women have made (admittedly she focuses on the West, but does make an effort to include other regions of the world). We've moved from the limits of the house to the (almost) limitless world men have been inhabiting. I think the main point of her research is to show that though the pay and number may not be equal (YET!) we are getting there when it comes to gender. Through her multitude of examples it became easy to see that there is also a major paradigm shift when it comes to how more recent generations view equality in that the younger ladies tend to have a more limitless view, rather than focusing on one campaign.
Though the book covers some heavy, often complex topics (education, discrimination, childcare, self-care, politics, economics, social constructs, etc.) I have to say the fantastic transitions and segues speak to the solid writing skills of the author. This book throws information at you, and not in a way that makes you cringe and have flashbacks of college lecture halls, but instead resembles an engaging conversation between pals that can't wait to share all they know.
Wolf flits between statistics, explaining why Hilary lost the primary, why "domestic service" has grown, how charities have been negatively affected by working women and how "successful" child-rearing is based so much on a mother's priorities and career path.
It's not a light read, but I highly recommend for anyone interested in the history and growth of women getting an education and making their own way in the world, regardless of what society dictates.
From start to finish Wolf uses Jane Austen as an example of the progress women have made (admittedly she focuses on the West, but does make an effort to include other regions of the world). We've moved from the limits of the house to the (almost) limitless world men have been inhabiting. I think the main point of her research is to show that though the pay and number may not be equal (YET!) we are getting there when it comes to gender. Through her multitude of examples it became easy to see that there is also a major paradigm shift when it comes to how more recent generations view equality in that the younger ladies tend to have a more limitless view, rather than focusing on one campaign.
Though the book covers some heavy, often complex topics (education, discrimination, childcare, self-care, politics, economics, social constructs, etc.) I have to say the fantastic transitions and segues speak to the solid writing skills of the author. This book throws information at you, and not in a way that makes you cringe and have flashbacks of college lecture halls, but instead resembles an engaging conversation between pals that can't wait to share all they know.
Wolf flits between statistics, explaining why Hilary lost the primary, why "domestic service" has grown, how charities have been negatively affected by working women and how "successful" child-rearing is based so much on a mother's priorities and career path.
It's not a light read, but I highly recommend for anyone interested in the history and growth of women getting an education and making their own way in the world, regardless of what society dictates.
January 3, 2014
This was an extremely interesting, well-researched and well written book about the growing difference among women. The argument is no longer equality between men and women in the professional world but rather, the disappearing sisterhood. As a graduate school educated professional in my early-thirties, it was fascinating and reassuring to hear that my situation is not odd or unique. I have chosen career over children, yet I am happily married. Children are still part of the plan, I just chose not to have them young. Of course, there will always be the exceptions...the women who still find a way to put 2 hour meals from scratch on the table, those that spend care giving time with their children, but the point of this book was to share the statistical data obtained from the industrialized world. Frankly, the information presented wasn't shocking or new...take a look at your own life and those of the women around you and you already knew these differences existed. I think this was an interesting book, but it mostly confirmed discussions I have been having with my husband for years. I think this is a book for both men and women who are interested in learning more about how society looks. I agree that my life choices resemble those of a male peer and I am okay with that. I don't feel that I am owed anything different as a female, but I am happy to except that my decisions will dictate my path and no one needs to make adjustments for me. High praise to the author for putting together an interesting and fascinating read.
January 27, 2014
The rich are different.
That's the thought that I came away from after reading The XX Factor. Wolf's portrai of the changed lives of the women at the top of the socio-economic heap is fascinating and rigorously backed up (the appendix full or stats is very long). I appreciate that Wolf is very upfront about the fact that her book is about those top 20% of women, the other 80% are presented mostly for comparison, but I am ravenous for the same rigorous analysis of the experience gap in between lower/middle income women and the high earners.
That's the thought that I came away from after reading The XX Factor. Wolf's portrai of the changed lives of the women at the top of the socio-economic heap is fascinating and rigorously backed up (the appendix full or stats is very long). I appreciate that Wolf is very upfront about the fact that her book is about those top 20% of women, the other 80% are presented mostly for comparison, but I am ravenous for the same rigorous analysis of the experience gap in between lower/middle income women and the high earners.
January 25, 2014
Dense, heavily researched, more global in scope than anticipated, yet highly informative and readable (albeit over a few weeks for me so as to digest it all better) review of current family/work/financial issues. I highly recommend it.
Despite the name of the book, it has practically nil to do with genetic traits.
Despite the name of the book, it has practically nil to do with genetic traits.
December 30, 2013
A well researched, thorough book.
I would recommend this to my colleagues but also to young women in high school.
It's a raw, truthful look at the risks, highlights and many rewards of following a professional educational and career track.
I would recommend this to my colleagues but also to young women in high school.
It's a raw, truthful look at the risks, highlights and many rewards of following a professional educational and career track.
September 28, 2018
Enjoyed reading this book. Long awaited one of the books. This is a wonderful book on what the challenges are for women who practice leadership as CEOs or senior executives. And how different women have different issues and how to bring those issues up on the table and solve crucial problems that women face. Rather than waiting for someone, let's begin from within.❤📚📖📈👩💼👩💼👩⚖👩🏫
Unfortunately, there is one point I did not like. And that is Bangladesh being considered as a poor nation to which women are still new to education. I dont agree with this. And it sometimes get too much into details.
And the last line was beautiful,catchy and rememberable.
"If the future is anything remotely like our contemporary world, none will. And that, certainly, is progress."
Unfortunately, there is one point I did not like. And that is Bangladesh being considered as a poor nation to which women are still new to education. I dont agree with this. And it sometimes get too much into details.
And the last line was beautiful,catchy and rememberable.
"If the future is anything remotely like our contemporary world, none will. And that, certainly, is progress."
February 6, 2021
The Rich get Richer and the Poor get Children is a chapter title and is a neat summary of the book. Wolf's thesis is essentially that the gap between elite women and elite men has narrowed or been erased. The gap between working class women and men has expanded. (Note: I am using "elite" the same way as in the book. I dont mean to imply that some women or families are better than others)
There is a ton of great detail here and very well supported facts. I could read the chapter notes themselves. She makes the case that elite families support each other. Women delay child rearing until their careers are well established. They also marry elite men and go on to spend more of their free time managing their children's education. The cycle starts again for their daughters. On the other hand, working class families, who struggle more, dont have the time, money or ability to match up. Their families collectively suffer.
Her thesis deserves a lot of merit, especially in public policy and within the feminist movement. Women should not worry as much about workplace inequality for educated, skilled women. More effort and support needs to be given to working class women. The cost for an unskilled woman to leave the workforce is much smaller. Policy could redirect funds to provide skills training to move motivated women up the income ladder with a small investment.
The only fault in her book is that she does not offer up many solutions.
There is a ton of great detail here and very well supported facts. I could read the chapter notes themselves. She makes the case that elite families support each other. Women delay child rearing until their careers are well established. They also marry elite men and go on to spend more of their free time managing their children's education. The cycle starts again for their daughters. On the other hand, working class families, who struggle more, dont have the time, money or ability to match up. Their families collectively suffer.
Her thesis deserves a lot of merit, especially in public policy and within the feminist movement. Women should not worry as much about workplace inequality for educated, skilled women. More effort and support needs to be given to working class women. The cost for an unskilled woman to leave the workforce is much smaller. Policy could redirect funds to provide skills training to move motivated women up the income ladder with a small investment.
The only fault in her book is that she does not offer up many solutions.
Read
May 2, 2021Great experience
January 30, 2025
Wealthy, educated women are thriving in America. Gender norms changed so fast, and it is truly awesome. Allison Wolf explains why and how this happened (and what still needs to be done).
March 19, 2017
Statistical deep-dive into the lives of "elite" working women and mothers. Long story short: things are more equal between men and women at the top then for the rest of the working world. Wolf goes deep into the world of the educated elite, but not into the lives of the less-educated (never graduated high school or only high school diploma) except by comparison to the "degreed" women she profiles. This only paints half the picture (as it intended to), so now we just need a good look at the other half.
November 29, 2015
I like to read books about gender studies – its one of my interest areas, and I tried to study as many gender study related courses when doing my sociology degree back in 2005-2008. I’ve read so much and so widely now that I recognize the names of writers in the area, and have often read books referenced in other’s texts. Nonetheless, I find most new text I come across interesting, and I often learn something new. Part of the reason I think I enjoy these type of books is because I feel they give me a better shot at understanding myself and often, why my views on the world as so different to others, particularly other women. This book answered some of those questions, but also raised some other interesting ones about gender differences and the approach to work. It also further validated that if I wanted to live the life I intend, I will need to stay focused on the road I’m on, developing myself, and seeking ever greater challenges, particularly if I want to provide for any future children in the way I would like. Basically, Pinker takes numerous qualitative and quantitative studies to back up the idea that women don’t necessarily end up in boards and CEOs at the same rate as men, not because they don’t have the opportunities, or even feel they can’t juggle children and work, but rather choose not to because they come to a point where they either seek out jobs that are more meaningful, or decide that while they can manage the balance, they no longer want to. Equally, Pinker presents interesting demographic analysis of economic status compared to work profile, the increase in working hours for the wealthy compared to the decrease for the middle/working class, and the relative illusion that those earnings between $150k and $400k are ‘wealthy’ (a concept I struggle to get a lot of people to understand – after all, the more time you spend at work, the more you have outlay in costs such as nannies, housekeepers etc, and besides, someone has to buy the expensive house), compared to those earning about $400k or under $150k. This book has some really interesting points, and I came away understanding a few things about myself, including why it was I was attracted to working in a University (there is a lot of discussion about women wanting to work in jobs where they feel like they are ‘giving back’ – personally I think my reasons where something around the idea of ‘if I work in a University and make it a great place, then we can educate more people, and maybe I’ll have to put up with less dumb people – wonder what that says about me!). Now, I have since read other texts criticizing Pinker’s approach, which I will cover in another review of another book, and while I agree with some of these criticisms, I also think they take Pinker’s comments too far. Pinker uses substantial data regarding the differences in male and female brains to justify her arguments. I personally don’t feel we can be reduced to our brain chemistry, otherwise, I must have something dramatically wrong with me, given how different I am to many women I know. Nonetheless, Pinker does comment throughout that her findings are generalization, that do necessarily apply to everyone. This, to me, makes more sense, and better explains some of my differences to other women. I, unlike many of my friends, have never been content to simply go to uni, get a job, get a husband, have babies, and stay put in the one place, doing the same thing for the rest of my life. I like to travel, I want to live in multiple countries (I’ve lived in two), I want to try my hand at a million different things, I want to keep studying pretty much for the rest of my life in a variety of areas (I have three degrees and I’m working on another two), I left my relatively prestigious job in a Big 4 accounting firm and specifically sort out a job that would challenge me and allow me to learn new skills (which paid off quite nicely). I know I’m different from the majority, and Pinker stipulates that that is okay. However, I believe she also goes some way towards explaining why my female friends are the way they are, which lends itself to helping me understand them, and better emote, which I think is always a valuable skill. Either way, I think this is a really interesting book to add to this ever growing, increasingly important area of study.
February 2, 2014
Did a rise in female professionals solve the myth of gender gap?
This is an illuminating work of Professor Alison Wolf of King College, London who has examined the lives of modern women and their career choices to determine if it has helped the status of women in the society and narrow the myth of gender gap. In this astonishing investigation, the author observes that the gender gap is closing, but in this process, it has widened the gap among women themselves. The career woman with a good education enjoys the lifestyles of her male colleagues, but this special "breed" of women also distanced themselves from millions of non-professional women who did not fare well in education or in a career. This side of feminism has consequences. It has changed the traditional life styles of successful women; they work longer than an average woman, postpone marriage, delay having children and spend less time with kids.
A transformation of labor market in 1960s and 1970s changed women's expectations and behavior; higher education, greater job opportunities, career growth, changed family values and the arrival of the pill made all the difference. A comparative look at the college educated woman of 2013 with that of 1950s and 60s illustrate the feminist impact on gender emancipation. In this work the author has used statistical data available in professional journals to evaluate if contemporary women behave similarly or there are systematic differences among them. From the data shown in this book, the author concludes that women have grown different not only from each other but also in their careers, family patterns, daily tasks and even in their bedrooms. The differences are attributed to their education and careers that turned them into elites of the society. Spending time at the golf course is more entertaining than having a quiet evening with family and friends at home.
From the charts/tables and other statistical data reproduced from academic journals, certain interesting facts emerge; most male and female graduates are equally likely or unlikely to have kids. Graduate women are far more likely to work continuously, post birth than non-professional women. Graduate mothers are more likely to cut back on their hours at work than graduate fathers. This study also finds that highly successful women with stay-at-home male partner are small. Among poorly educated women with few prospects, they often opt for single motherhood, better a baby fathered by an unsatisfactory and absent male than no baby at all is the motto. But not many graduate women make that choice. Having studied the numerous charts/tables presented in this book, one thing that is astonishing is that the sexual behavior and its frequency among career women is not too different from those of non-professional women. Another feature of this study is, although there are numerous charts studying the sexual behavior of educated versus non-educated women at different age groups, at various periods in time, various demographics, both in USA and UK, these studies do not take political persuasion of these women into their consideration.
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 is long marathon for Lilly Ledbetter who worked for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in its Gadsden, Alabama location, but her ordeal in her fight for equal pay for equal work made all American women proud. Yet there is a different generation of women who did not wait for the law to pass, but made difference at work place for all women.
This is an illuminating work of Professor Alison Wolf of King College, London who has examined the lives of modern women and their career choices to determine if it has helped the status of women in the society and narrow the myth of gender gap. In this astonishing investigation, the author observes that the gender gap is closing, but in this process, it has widened the gap among women themselves. The career woman with a good education enjoys the lifestyles of her male colleagues, but this special "breed" of women also distanced themselves from millions of non-professional women who did not fare well in education or in a career. This side of feminism has consequences. It has changed the traditional life styles of successful women; they work longer than an average woman, postpone marriage, delay having children and spend less time with kids.
A transformation of labor market in 1960s and 1970s changed women's expectations and behavior; higher education, greater job opportunities, career growth, changed family values and the arrival of the pill made all the difference. A comparative look at the college educated woman of 2013 with that of 1950s and 60s illustrate the feminist impact on gender emancipation. In this work the author has used statistical data available in professional journals to evaluate if contemporary women behave similarly or there are systematic differences among them. From the data shown in this book, the author concludes that women have grown different not only from each other but also in their careers, family patterns, daily tasks and even in their bedrooms. The differences are attributed to their education and careers that turned them into elites of the society. Spending time at the golf course is more entertaining than having a quiet evening with family and friends at home.
From the charts/tables and other statistical data reproduced from academic journals, certain interesting facts emerge; most male and female graduates are equally likely or unlikely to have kids. Graduate women are far more likely to work continuously, post birth than non-professional women. Graduate mothers are more likely to cut back on their hours at work than graduate fathers. This study also finds that highly successful women with stay-at-home male partner are small. Among poorly educated women with few prospects, they often opt for single motherhood, better a baby fathered by an unsatisfactory and absent male than no baby at all is the motto. But not many graduate women make that choice. Having studied the numerous charts/tables presented in this book, one thing that is astonishing is that the sexual behavior and its frequency among career women is not too different from those of non-professional women. Another feature of this study is, although there are numerous charts studying the sexual behavior of educated versus non-educated women at different age groups, at various periods in time, various demographics, both in USA and UK, these studies do not take political persuasion of these women into their consideration.
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 is long marathon for Lilly Ledbetter who worked for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in its Gadsden, Alabama location, but her ordeal in her fight for equal pay for equal work made all American women proud. Yet there is a different generation of women who did not wait for the law to pass, but made difference at work place for all women.
dnf
August 22, 2017I made a plan that I was going to do a 19% first impressions review with this book and another book I was receiving for review. This plan did not happen like most of the plans I make. I make all these grand plans only to dnf the books.
I won this book off of goodreads the latter part of last year. As you can see it took me a long time to review this book. I did not review this book until now because I had a fear that this book would be one of those books that would say women need to get back into the house and blame women for every problem. Recently, I decided to read this in result of my lack of interest in fiction. I felt that I needed to read non-fiction for a bit. Well, things did not go as planned.
The Good
The introduction made me feel that this book would be thought provoking. I was even prepared to not like everything the author said if it made me think. I actually wrote out my first impressions for the introduction for the 19% impressions plan.
Introduction:(My uncorrected proof copy says How The Rise of Working Women Has Created A Far Less Equal World so that is most of where my first reaction is coming from)So far I like it. My opinion so far is that I don't care is women's place that they are taking in the workplace is creating an unequal world. I feel that women need a world that has them in the equation. My attitude as of late dealing with all these issues (race, gender, publishing, etc.) is that if society does not have that group(s) in mind why are should they be present. They want to profit off of people but don't want to give them equal opportunities. Society was never equal in the first place so yeah. Personally, I'm tired of considering these people when those people do not care about me.
I like that the book is addressing that all women are not created equal. Many women are entering the work force out of necessity not exactly to get a leg up. Many women do not have a choice of not working. You cannot grow as a society and expect everyone to stay the same. Society needs to grow to fit the need of its people in general. To get women out of the workforce there has to be many changes that I don't think that the other half is going to make.
To Sum it Up
1.This world is unequal in the first place.
2.Why should these marginalized groups think about people when they do not think about me in their equation?
3.Many women have no choice in working.
4.Are we going to talk to men about their role in things or are we going to just police women?
I do think some of the ideas such as more part-time jobs for people would be good. I don't know if it would be good for economy or anything but it would be good for many people.
The Bad
After the introduction this book lost my engagement. I started to force myself to keep going with this book. I think many other reviewers for this book hit the nail on the head for why I lost interest in this book.
One of the main reasons my interest was lost was because it feels so repetitive. How many ways can you say that the more education the less likely a woman is to have kids? This entire point and the reasons why are common knowledge. That is another problem I had, most of the information seems like common knowledge stuff.
Thank you Alison Weir and goodreads for sending me this book for free in exchange for my review.
I won this book off of goodreads the latter part of last year. As you can see it took me a long time to review this book. I did not review this book until now because I had a fear that this book would be one of those books that would say women need to get back into the house and blame women for every problem. Recently, I decided to read this in result of my lack of interest in fiction. I felt that I needed to read non-fiction for a bit. Well, things did not go as planned.
The Good
The introduction made me feel that this book would be thought provoking. I was even prepared to not like everything the author said if it made me think. I actually wrote out my first impressions for the introduction for the 19% impressions plan.
Introduction:(My uncorrected proof copy says How The Rise of Working Women Has Created A Far Less Equal World so that is most of where my first reaction is coming from)So far I like it. My opinion so far is that I don't care is women's place that they are taking in the workplace is creating an unequal world. I feel that women need a world that has them in the equation. My attitude as of late dealing with all these issues (race, gender, publishing, etc.) is that if society does not have that group(s) in mind why are should they be present. They want to profit off of people but don't want to give them equal opportunities. Society was never equal in the first place so yeah. Personally, I'm tired of considering these people when those people do not care about me.
I like that the book is addressing that all women are not created equal. Many women are entering the work force out of necessity not exactly to get a leg up. Many women do not have a choice of not working. You cannot grow as a society and expect everyone to stay the same. Society needs to grow to fit the need of its people in general. To get women out of the workforce there has to be many changes that I don't think that the other half is going to make.
To Sum it Up
1.This world is unequal in the first place.
2.Why should these marginalized groups think about people when they do not think about me in their equation?
3.Many women have no choice in working.
4.Are we going to talk to men about their role in things or are we going to just police women?
I do think some of the ideas such as more part-time jobs for people would be good. I don't know if it would be good for economy or anything but it would be good for many people.
The Bad
After the introduction this book lost my engagement. I started to force myself to keep going with this book. I think many other reviewers for this book hit the nail on the head for why I lost interest in this book.
One of the main reasons my interest was lost was because it feels so repetitive. How many ways can you say that the more education the less likely a woman is to have kids? This entire point and the reasons why are common knowledge. That is another problem I had, most of the information seems like common knowledge stuff.
Thank you Alison Weir and goodreads for sending me this book for free in exchange for my review.
March 8, 2014
This book's premise is that as women gained more equality with men, we became lost equality among ourselves. (The sub-title of the book I borrowed from my local library was "How the Rise of Working Women Has Created a Far Less Equal World," although I see that the sub-title of the book shown on GoodReads is different). Almost all women used to have one career: wife and mother. Now almost all women work outside the home, but there is a huge disparity of income and lifestyle among women who work blue collar jobs versus those who are very educated and prosperous. The author argues that there is no "sisterhood" among women and that we are mostly all out for ourselves, and sometimes out to get each other.
I was very intrigued for the first quarter of the book and kept reading quotes and statistics to my husband. Then the book seemed a bit dry to me but I pressed on and read to the end. There are some interesting sections about changing educational norms and cultural norms etc. I really liked the parts comparing women in other countries, which talked about differing standards for childcare and maternity leave etc. Obviously in the U.S. we have the worst rights as mothers in the workplace among any other country discussed. The author is British but talks about all kinds of different countries.
Sometimes I found myself wondering if things were really all that different. There was always income/lifestyle inequality based on which man a woman married, and what his job was and how much he made, etc. Now it's more that a woman has her own say in things and can have the opportunity to work more. Interestingly, the more a woman makes, the more she works, and the less time she has to spend with her children. It makes more sense for someone who makes less to drop out of the workforce for awhile and stay at home to raise young children. I think the author's point is that a woman could often "marry up" depending on her looks and charm, but now that two people can make a lot of money as a couple, they often choose partners from the same sort of family background, with similar education and income levels, and so this creates a larger gap between the rich and the poor.
Overall I liked the book although after awhile it was no longer a "page-turner." It's certainly full of interesting information and statistics, from both historical time periods and the current one.
I was very intrigued for the first quarter of the book and kept reading quotes and statistics to my husband. Then the book seemed a bit dry to me but I pressed on and read to the end. There are some interesting sections about changing educational norms and cultural norms etc. I really liked the parts comparing women in other countries, which talked about differing standards for childcare and maternity leave etc. Obviously in the U.S. we have the worst rights as mothers in the workplace among any other country discussed. The author is British but talks about all kinds of different countries.
Sometimes I found myself wondering if things were really all that different. There was always income/lifestyle inequality based on which man a woman married, and what his job was and how much he made, etc. Now it's more that a woman has her own say in things and can have the opportunity to work more. Interestingly, the more a woman makes, the more she works, and the less time she has to spend with her children. It makes more sense for someone who makes less to drop out of the workforce for awhile and stay at home to raise young children. I think the author's point is that a woman could often "marry up" depending on her looks and charm, but now that two people can make a lot of money as a couple, they often choose partners from the same sort of family background, with similar education and income levels, and so this creates a larger gap between the rich and the poor.
Overall I liked the book although after awhile it was no longer a "page-turner." It's certainly full of interesting information and statistics, from both historical time periods and the current one.
January 19, 2014
You're not going to read anything that's groundbreaking in this book. She pretty much says what you already can assume giving the shift of women joining the workforce. I did appreciate the depth of research she uses in backing up her points. I also gained an appreciation for the role opportunity cost plays in our decision making. Here are some main concepts I gathered from the reading:
While women have more career opportunities the division between jobs filled by women and jobs filled by men are still greatly divided. Women still aren't going for those coal mining jobs.
Because of technology women and men, generally speaking, have more leisure time. The only group that has not seen an increase in their leisure time are men who hold postgraduate degrees.
Social economic status can play a greater role than gender in predicting social behavior. Wealthy men and women are more alike, in many ways, than a wealthy women and a poor women.
Women make as much money as men, assuming they have no children in their lifetime.
Middle class wages have become stagnate since women have entered the workforce (she doesn't come out and say this).
Opportunity cost points to why women get married, have children/or not have children, and pretty much everything else that pertains to economic decisions.
Families eating out has doubled since women started working, usually not eating good food, quick food is junk food.
Daycare has greatly increased. (Again, nothing groundbreaking in this book)
The amount of sex people have has not increased, people now have more partners and are more creative in the bedroom.
The wealthiest one-percent and low-income women are having the most children. As a society women are not having children, and will soon not replace the birthrate. If a women does have a child we're seeing a strong increase in women having children outside of marriage.
Women today are more stressed, but find themselves with men reporting an increase in happiness over the last forty years.
While women have more career opportunities the division between jobs filled by women and jobs filled by men are still greatly divided. Women still aren't going for those coal mining jobs.
Because of technology women and men, generally speaking, have more leisure time. The only group that has not seen an increase in their leisure time are men who hold postgraduate degrees.
Social economic status can play a greater role than gender in predicting social behavior. Wealthy men and women are more alike, in many ways, than a wealthy women and a poor women.
Women make as much money as men, assuming they have no children in their lifetime.
Middle class wages have become stagnate since women have entered the workforce (she doesn't come out and say this).
Opportunity cost points to why women get married, have children/or not have children, and pretty much everything else that pertains to economic decisions.
Families eating out has doubled since women started working, usually not eating good food, quick food is junk food.
Daycare has greatly increased. (Again, nothing groundbreaking in this book)
The amount of sex people have has not increased, people now have more partners and are more creative in the bedroom.
The wealthiest one-percent and low-income women are having the most children. As a society women are not having children, and will soon not replace the birthrate. If a women does have a child we're seeing a strong increase in women having children outside of marriage.
Women today are more stressed, but find themselves with men reporting an increase in happiness over the last forty years.
June 7, 2014
A thorough summary of current trends in women's lives, this book pulls together in one volume anecdotal and statistical research explaining what has happened to the world economy and aspects of its social structures since women began entering the formal workforce en masse.
Most of Wolf's research will be familiar to anyone who reads major world news publications, but Wolf has arranged and commented on it so that disparate pieces (the part-time workforce, the beauty industry, sex, sex workers, higher education, childrearing, among other topics) come together to explain the effect of feminism in combination with globalization on society both East and West.
In particular, her section on the loss of volunteers for charitable causes is a much-needed addition to an overlooked aspect of women's lives before 1970. Wolf reminds the reader that women did not suddenly become brilliant and useful to society because feminism freed them from the shackles of home and family - they were always working, but their energies were directed toward areas of need and not in the formal work sector.
Yet although she acknowledges (even in the title) that this sea change has caused inequality for the four-fifths of women who are not "elite graduates," she fails to connect these women's achievements with the losses they have meant for men. Namely, elite women have taken jobs from men who would have been breadwinners for families, forcing their wives too to take part-time jobs to support families that can no longer exist on one, now less lucrative, income. Perhaps because to make that fact explicit would give the appearance of judging the women's movement in a negative light, the book ends weakly, stating rather lamely that elite women's gains are progress that (apparently) justifies the inequality that is now the burden of non-elites. A stronger conclusion would have made this book outstanding, particularly if Wolf had suggested some ways to remedy the problem. A second volume, on the lives of non-elites, is needed to provide such a discussion.
Most of Wolf's research will be familiar to anyone who reads major world news publications, but Wolf has arranged and commented on it so that disparate pieces (the part-time workforce, the beauty industry, sex, sex workers, higher education, childrearing, among other topics) come together to explain the effect of feminism in combination with globalization on society both East and West.
In particular, her section on the loss of volunteers for charitable causes is a much-needed addition to an overlooked aspect of women's lives before 1970. Wolf reminds the reader that women did not suddenly become brilliant and useful to society because feminism freed them from the shackles of home and family - they were always working, but their energies were directed toward areas of need and not in the formal work sector.
Yet although she acknowledges (even in the title) that this sea change has caused inequality for the four-fifths of women who are not "elite graduates," she fails to connect these women's achievements with the losses they have meant for men. Namely, elite women have taken jobs from men who would have been breadwinners for families, forcing their wives too to take part-time jobs to support families that can no longer exist on one, now less lucrative, income. Perhaps because to make that fact explicit would give the appearance of judging the women's movement in a negative light, the book ends weakly, stating rather lamely that elite women's gains are progress that (apparently) justifies the inequality that is now the burden of non-elites. A stronger conclusion would have made this book outstanding, particularly if Wolf had suggested some ways to remedy the problem. A second volume, on the lives of non-elites, is needed to provide such a discussion.
February 27, 2015
This is a well researched but overwritten book that doesn't live up to its subtitle. The focus is on how life is different for well educated women who achieve prestigious, well-paid jobs as compared to women with less education who lead a more traditional life. The subtitle "How the rise of working women has created a far less equal world" is not really explained within the work.
One of the main messages I perceived is that women can now attain status and power by their own means of education and hard work as opposed to marrying or inheriting it. Unfortunately, there is little discussion on how the rise of women to positions of power could benefit the business world by their different approaches to business. Instead it just focuses on how these women have fewer children and continue with the nepotistic style of leadership and power.
One major quibble, and Wolf acknowledged that most people would disagree with this, is the issue of work - that "Men and women now put in the same average number of working hours." Her idea is that men and women do the same amount of work even though women's work is comprised of paid and unpaid work (housework & childcare) while men's work is paid work. Unfortunately, Wolf misses the fact that the importance of the analysis of work is not in the time spent doing it, it's the value accredited to the work: paid work trumps unpaid work when considered in terms of power and finance. Women are minimized because they do unpaid work and until people (women and men) are valued for the work they do in childcare and maintaining a home, there is no equality.
Unfortunately, what this book says to me is that as women gain power in the workplace, they are as corrupted by that power as men have been over the centuries. Women may now earn their power and status in the business world but unfortunately they are unlikely to change it for the better.
One of the main messages I perceived is that women can now attain status and power by their own means of education and hard work as opposed to marrying or inheriting it. Unfortunately, there is little discussion on how the rise of women to positions of power could benefit the business world by their different approaches to business. Instead it just focuses on how these women have fewer children and continue with the nepotistic style of leadership and power.
One major quibble, and Wolf acknowledged that most people would disagree with this, is the issue of work - that "Men and women now put in the same average number of working hours." Her idea is that men and women do the same amount of work even though women's work is comprised of paid and unpaid work (housework & childcare) while men's work is paid work. Unfortunately, Wolf misses the fact that the importance of the analysis of work is not in the time spent doing it, it's the value accredited to the work: paid work trumps unpaid work when considered in terms of power and finance. Women are minimized because they do unpaid work and until people (women and men) are valued for the work they do in childcare and maintaining a home, there is no equality.
Unfortunately, what this book says to me is that as women gain power in the workplace, they are as corrupted by that power as men have been over the centuries. Women may now earn their power and status in the business world but unfortunately they are unlikely to change it for the better.
March 12, 2016
The XX Factor (2013) by Alison Woolf is a really interesting book about how the drastic change in women's roles in the past 50 years has changed society.
The drastic change on women in the top quintile of income earners in terms of the number of children, if any, they have and the age at which they had them has changed. Their relationships have also greatly changed. Women in the top quintile of income look just like men in the same quintile. They look very different to those women in the bottom quintile. Women and men in the bottom quintiles of income distribution do very sexually segregated jobs, those in the top quintiles overwhelmingly work in integrated jobs.
Woolf shows that gender equality has led to increased increased economic inequality. Families in the top quintile of incomes have two high income earners while those in the bottom quintile have one or zero earners.
The book presents a plethora of statistics on fertility, economics and social attitudes as well as a number of interviews with a number of very successful women that Woolf knows. This gives the book a bit of a personal touch. But it's also problematic as it all these women seem to not just be in the top 20% but in the top 5% or even more. A big omission from the book is the fate of women in the middle quintiles. What's happened to them is given scant attention.
Woolf also gives a huge amount of attention to highly elite Universities. Unsurprisingly she is a graduate of one of them and now an academic. She doesn't ponder if the allure of highly selective places could possibly reduce. Also, these places cater to the top 5%, not the top 20%.
Woolf mentions inter-generational income mobility but doesn't present the statistics. Movement between quintiles is suggested at but it's not strongly investigated as it should be.
It's generally a really interesting read. It would have been better if more women in more of the quintiles were investigated and interviewed though.
The drastic change on women in the top quintile of income earners in terms of the number of children, if any, they have and the age at which they had them has changed. Their relationships have also greatly changed. Women in the top quintile of income look just like men in the same quintile. They look very different to those women in the bottom quintile. Women and men in the bottom quintiles of income distribution do very sexually segregated jobs, those in the top quintiles overwhelmingly work in integrated jobs.
Woolf shows that gender equality has led to increased increased economic inequality. Families in the top quintile of incomes have two high income earners while those in the bottom quintile have one or zero earners.
The book presents a plethora of statistics on fertility, economics and social attitudes as well as a number of interviews with a number of very successful women that Woolf knows. This gives the book a bit of a personal touch. But it's also problematic as it all these women seem to not just be in the top 20% but in the top 5% or even more. A big omission from the book is the fate of women in the middle quintiles. What's happened to them is given scant attention.
Woolf also gives a huge amount of attention to highly elite Universities. Unsurprisingly she is a graduate of one of them and now an academic. She doesn't ponder if the allure of highly selective places could possibly reduce. Also, these places cater to the top 5%, not the top 20%.
Woolf mentions inter-generational income mobility but doesn't present the statistics. Movement between quintiles is suggested at but it's not strongly investigated as it should be.
It's generally a really interesting read. It would have been better if more women in more of the quintiles were investigated and interviewed though.
December 14, 2013
N.B. I received a free copy of this book through the First Reads program.
I found this to be quite interesting. A good many of the points brought up seem to make sense when you sit and think about them, but I hadn't thought about them prior to the book. I'm not sure if it is because I'm a male that I don't think of them, or if it is a generational thing, or if it is simply normal not to.
Being someone that has tried to move from one socioeconomic status level to another quite successfully, though not as successfully as I would have liked thus far, I can also identify with quite a few of the points made, either with myself, my family, my friends, or my former classmates and acquaintances.
The author has clearly done quite a bit of research into the matter and it shows with how dense the book is with the data (looking back, only ~250 pages are the book itself, with another ~200 pages of notes, appendices, and index).
I enjoyed this book, but there are two chief complaints that I have. First, with the shear volume of data, it would have been nice to have more time to process each tidbit before moving on to the next. While often times, adjoining tidbits were somewhat related, it felt like a research paper presentation being presented by a southern auctioneer. The second complaint is that she presents the data and draws her conclusions which is fine, but at the end it felt as if she should be pushing for a "solution" of some sort. Whether that means just educating people on the gap or coming up with a way to prevent or adjust the gap, I'm not sure. It just felt like there should have been an extra little push at the end that was missing.
I found this to be quite interesting. A good many of the points brought up seem to make sense when you sit and think about them, but I hadn't thought about them prior to the book. I'm not sure if it is because I'm a male that I don't think of them, or if it is a generational thing, or if it is simply normal not to.
Being someone that has tried to move from one socioeconomic status level to another quite successfully, though not as successfully as I would have liked thus far, I can also identify with quite a few of the points made, either with myself, my family, my friends, or my former classmates and acquaintances.
The author has clearly done quite a bit of research into the matter and it shows with how dense the book is with the data (looking back, only ~250 pages are the book itself, with another ~200 pages of notes, appendices, and index).
I enjoyed this book, but there are two chief complaints that I have. First, with the shear volume of data, it would have been nice to have more time to process each tidbit before moving on to the next. While often times, adjoining tidbits were somewhat related, it felt like a research paper presentation being presented by a southern auctioneer. The second complaint is that she presents the data and draws her conclusions which is fine, but at the end it felt as if she should be pushing for a "solution" of some sort. Whether that means just educating people on the gap or coming up with a way to prevent or adjust the gap, I'm not sure. It just felt like there should have been an extra little push at the end that was missing.
January 26, 2015
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this book. The beginning is definitely a little hard to get into, but it was clear from the start that Ms. Wolf was going to make a legitimate effort to analyze the different kinds of women and, specifically, why they’re different; Wolf was not going to make sweeping, stereotypical claims about women and their socio-economical shift, and she delivered on this.
This is a great look at women in terms of Then and Now, why’s, how’s, and what if’s. It addresses the power wielded by women as well as the power they lack, and what this means. Wolf discusses myths, their histories, and which of them hold truth and which are fictitious. Wolf includes so many different concepts and ideas from so many different areas and sources – much of which I’d never considered or, at the least, never considered important for women and gender. It is a fascinating read.
Unfortunately, I have to agree with the other reviewers who say that this book is very numbers-and-statistics heavy. Of course this is all important information given the subject, but its presentation is not always the most friendly. This is not a book you’re going to pick up on a rainy Saturday. You have to want to know this stuff. I also noticed that the further into this book I got, Wolf’s explanations seemed to get a little harder to swallow, and the information began to get redundant. The book could definitely do with a little compression.
That being said, I consider the issues Wolf explores in this book highly important information for all women (and even men) to be knowledgeable of.
This is a great look at women in terms of Then and Now, why’s, how’s, and what if’s. It addresses the power wielded by women as well as the power they lack, and what this means. Wolf discusses myths, their histories, and which of them hold truth and which are fictitious. Wolf includes so many different concepts and ideas from so many different areas and sources – much of which I’d never considered or, at the least, never considered important for women and gender. It is a fascinating read.
Unfortunately, I have to agree with the other reviewers who say that this book is very numbers-and-statistics heavy. Of course this is all important information given the subject, but its presentation is not always the most friendly. This is not a book you’re going to pick up on a rainy Saturday. You have to want to know this stuff. I also noticed that the further into this book I got, Wolf’s explanations seemed to get a little harder to swallow, and the information began to get redundant. The book could definitely do with a little compression.
That being said, I consider the issues Wolf explores in this book highly important information for all women (and even men) to be knowledgeable of.
August 23, 2014
one of the other goodreads reviewers nailed it in starting her review with "this book was so boring!" Takes the perfectly reasonable point that discussion of sex similarities/differences in experiences with higher education, labor market, and home labor should be careful to note that historically and at present such effects vary by SES and belabors it, reports non-amazing stats about it, repeats it, tells you you might be amazed by it, repeats it, etc.
To be fair, some of the time diary stuff was astute, e.g., making the distinction that on average we spend a lot less time than 50 years ago on preparing meals, whereas the change in time for other home-based chores was much less [i can relate to that -- laundry is one of my tasks, and unless you grew up doing it by hand and using a clothesline, i don't think there's been any significant change in amt. time needed per family member].
but for the most part a really dull slog thru well-known points such as that women in developed nations are on average having fewer kids and marrying later than the used to. For the ostensibly enlivening anecdotes all books like this employ, she leans heavily on the UK, which is fair for a London-based author, but also heavily on fiction [clearly read everything by Jane Austen multiple times], which seemed odd to me. There are actual people alive who could comment on what it was like to do domestic work for another family, or to be one of the few women in one's higher-ed class, or.....; not necessary to cite fictional characters to illustrate.
To be fair, some of the time diary stuff was astute, e.g., making the distinction that on average we spend a lot less time than 50 years ago on preparing meals, whereas the change in time for other home-based chores was much less [i can relate to that -- laundry is one of my tasks, and unless you grew up doing it by hand and using a clothesline, i don't think there's been any significant change in amt. time needed per family member].
but for the most part a really dull slog thru well-known points such as that women in developed nations are on average having fewer kids and marrying later than the used to. For the ostensibly enlivening anecdotes all books like this employ, she leans heavily on the UK, which is fair for a London-based author, but also heavily on fiction [clearly read everything by Jane Austen multiple times], which seemed odd to me. There are actual people alive who could comment on what it was like to do domestic work for another family, or to be one of the few women in one's higher-ed class, or.....; not necessary to cite fictional characters to illustrate.
November 17, 2013
I wouldn't call this book a response to Lean In; rather it is a supplement to it full of data and a broader look at multiple classes, countries and history as applies to working women. It's not an easy read by any means. Some ideas that stood out to me:
Civic activities and charitable work are way down as women pick more of the traditionally male roles. Also, since women are no longer confined to only "caring" roles (teaching, nursing etc.), the cream of the crop finishes school and is more likely to become lawyers, bankers and such roles that used to be off limits. Top women prefer the prestigious roles with more money. Men still aren't more likely to pick caring roles; therefore the caliber of many in caring roles today is lower than in the past without those elite women participating.Also, working (professional) married women tend to: still carry the brunt of chores/child care, be more stressed, and they're less happy.
The basic premise is that not everything coming out of feminism has been 100% super. The author doesn't seem to suggest we go back in time, she is far more objective than that. However, there are issues to address in the division of labor, societal norms and public policy toward women. The solutions aren't all out there, but this compilation of research is a start.
*I won this through a Goodreads giveaway.
Civic activities and charitable work are way down as women pick more of the traditionally male roles. Also, since women are no longer confined to only "caring" roles (teaching, nursing etc.), the cream of the crop finishes school and is more likely to become lawyers, bankers and such roles that used to be off limits. Top women prefer the prestigious roles with more money. Men still aren't more likely to pick caring roles; therefore the caliber of many in caring roles today is lower than in the past without those elite women participating.Also, working (professional) married women tend to: still carry the brunt of chores/child care, be more stressed, and they're less happy.
The basic premise is that not everything coming out of feminism has been 100% super. The author doesn't seem to suggest we go back in time, she is far more objective than that. However, there are issues to address in the division of labor, societal norms and public policy toward women. The solutions aren't all out there, but this compilation of research is a start.
*I won this through a Goodreads giveaway.
October 21, 2013
I received The XX Factor as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
Alison Wolf examines the history of women in the workplace and the implications recent history has had on women's education, sexuality, and life choices. Heavily statistics based, Wolf has done her homework and her report is a mixed bag of good and bad news for feminists. However, it's a fascinating look at similarities and differences between women (and societies) of different generations and nations (though with a bias toward the Western world in the latter).
The statistics get a bit dry at times, and when it comes to books like this, I sometimes wonder where women's happiness fits in. A lot of rhetoric is thrown around, on all sides, about what women SHOULD do, what paths are most healthy, productive, successful, etc. (often with lots of numbers to back their claims up), but speaking of "women" as some uniform group with some single path to fulfillment. Personally, I think this sells women (and their incredibly diverse personalities, preferences, backgrounds, and goals) short.
An interesting read, though, that leaves the reader with plenty to think about. Recommended.
Alison Wolf examines the history of women in the workplace and the implications recent history has had on women's education, sexuality, and life choices. Heavily statistics based, Wolf has done her homework and her report is a mixed bag of good and bad news for feminists. However, it's a fascinating look at similarities and differences between women (and societies) of different generations and nations (though with a bias toward the Western world in the latter).
The statistics get a bit dry at times, and when it comes to books like this, I sometimes wonder where women's happiness fits in. A lot of rhetoric is thrown around, on all sides, about what women SHOULD do, what paths are most healthy, productive, successful, etc. (often with lots of numbers to back their claims up), but speaking of "women" as some uniform group with some single path to fulfillment. Personally, I think this sells women (and their incredibly diverse personalities, preferences, backgrounds, and goals) short.
An interesting read, though, that leaves the reader with plenty to think about. Recommended.
February 19, 2014
I received a free copy for review through Goodreads' First Reads program.
For some reason or another, it's been a bit of a challenge to sit myself down and write an actual review for this book. I think that the problem I had with it was that had a lot to say but didn't always seem to be going anywhere with it. It was an interesting enough read, with some genuinely fascinating information... but then at other times it seemed to fall short. At times I would be reading information that really was interesting: changing patterns, shifts in statistics, etc... but I wouldn't really know where Wolf was going with it. A large portion of the book didn't seem to really have an argument.
Plus, it was sometimes hard to gauge where she stood on some matters. It seemed to be a bit critical of feminism, at some points, without any reasons why-- it was just an idle comment here or there that seemed to imply something but wasn't very clear.
Ultimately, the book really was interesting-- but it's hard to want to read from cover to cover. A great source for anyone interested in the subject matter, but not really the kind of thing that is easily read for pure entertainment.
For some reason or another, it's been a bit of a challenge to sit myself down and write an actual review for this book. I think that the problem I had with it was that had a lot to say but didn't always seem to be going anywhere with it. It was an interesting enough read, with some genuinely fascinating information... but then at other times it seemed to fall short. At times I would be reading information that really was interesting: changing patterns, shifts in statistics, etc... but I wouldn't really know where Wolf was going with it. A large portion of the book didn't seem to really have an argument.
Plus, it was sometimes hard to gauge where she stood on some matters. It seemed to be a bit critical of feminism, at some points, without any reasons why-- it was just an idle comment here or there that seemed to imply something but wasn't very clear.
Ultimately, the book really was interesting-- but it's hard to want to read from cover to cover. A great source for anyone interested in the subject matter, but not really the kind of thing that is easily read for pure entertainment.
June 11, 2015
This was a Goodreads First Read giveaway.
I was intrigued by the title, so I entered the giveaway. And I'm glad I did, because it is a very interesting work. In The XX Factor, Alison Wolf researches the impact of the working woman on modern society. While the gender gap has narrowed considerably, the gap between working women and the more "traditional" woman seems to have widened.
Looking at the way education, work opportunities, marriage, family, and even sex; Wolf examines how options for women have changed over the years. We see how women have much more say in marriage and family than they once did, and how sex has become a wide open field for women as the "old maid" trope has fallen by the wayside and the pill has made the way for casual sexual encounters without the formality of marriage (not that that's its only purpose). Women are no longer burdened by family and societal obligation. She uses Jane Austen as a starting point, and quotes her frequently throughout.
Wolf has most definitely put in the time and research for this book, and it pays off. Definitely worth a read.
I was intrigued by the title, so I entered the giveaway. And I'm glad I did, because it is a very interesting work. In The XX Factor, Alison Wolf researches the impact of the working woman on modern society. While the gender gap has narrowed considerably, the gap between working women and the more "traditional" woman seems to have widened.
Looking at the way education, work opportunities, marriage, family, and even sex; Wolf examines how options for women have changed over the years. We see how women have much more say in marriage and family than they once did, and how sex has become a wide open field for women as the "old maid" trope has fallen by the wayside and the pill has made the way for casual sexual encounters without the formality of marriage (not that that's its only purpose). Women are no longer burdened by family and societal obligation. She uses Jane Austen as a starting point, and quotes her frequently throughout.
Wolf has most definitely put in the time and research for this book, and it pays off. Definitely worth a read.
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