Arlie Hochschild The Second Shift Summary

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he Second shift book review In this landmark study, sociologist Arlie Hochschild takes us into the homes of the working mother as she observes what really goes on at the end of a work day. She did extensive research on married women with children under the age of 6 and Surprisingly, what she discovered shocked us all, Hochschild found that Working mothers leave work only to come home and do more work. Hochschild coined this term as the second shift as she described the work that mothers do at home as a second job where the various needs of the home overpowers the working mother. She addresses the second shift typically as child rearing and housework that usually falls on the shoulders of the women. Hochschild does a great job of going against the …show more content…

One of the many challenges that working women face is the strain between how to become successful in the workplace as well as being a great mother and wife at home. Hochschild examines the revolution of the american women and their changing role in the workforce. She states that over the past 30 years more and more women are beginning to work outside of the household. She notices how although there have been changes in the way that women are seen inside the workforce, the thought still remains that the woman's place is in the home. Although number of women joining the workforce have doubled over the years, the stigma of being a housewife and taking care of the home is still placed on women today. Hochschild does what no one else has cared to do and that is give working mothers a voice and choosing to tell their story. By doing this she has defied the odds that are placed against working women and speak up for the injustices against working mothers. She chooses to go deeper as she looks at the politics of what makes up a family home and proposes a solution to better fit their needs. She proposes that corporations and companies incorporate more family friendly policies for women with

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