|
mmo
Noteworthy
October
2005 |
changing
families:
New
Census study maps U.S. trends in marriage, fertility and maternal poverty
|
work-life
research:
Family-friendly
employers --
they're really not that into you (or your family)
A new report from the Families and Work Institute finds that supporting
employees and their families is not the main reason why employers
implement family-friendly policies.
|
| parenting
and health:
New
SIDS prevention guidelines call for "separate but proximate"
sleep arrangements for infants
|
| women
and leadership:
Female
commentators scarce on Sunday A.M. pundit fests
Other
news and commentary on women and politics
|
jobs,
wages and the economy:
Despite
economic growth, percentage of U.S. workers with good jobs is
unchanged since 1970s
More
news and commentary about women, jobs and economic trends
|
katrina's
aftermath:
Assessing
the needs of Gulf Coast women
|
elsewhere
on the web:
Notable
news and commentary on "opting out," reproductive rights
and other timely issues
|
| past
editions of mmo noteworthy ... |
| changing
families: |
New
Census study maps U.S. trends in marriage, fertility and maternal
poverty
A state-by-state
assessment of marriage and fertility trends could serve as a baseline
for tracking the socioeconomic impact of changing family structures
in the United States, the authors conclude. While the results
are preliminary, the study -- which was based on data collected
from the American Community Survey from 2000 to 2003 -- indicates
that some demographic indicators, such as median age at first
marriage, births to teen and unmarried mothers, maternal workforce
participation in the 12 months following birth, and maternal poverty
are distributed in regional clusters. An October 13 article in
the New York Times went so far as to suggest that the
main findings of the new report conform roughly to the red state-blue
state political divisions ("Data
on Marriage and Births Reflect the Political Divide,"
by Tamar Lewis). The study also analyzed national data on births
to non-citizen and non-English speaking mothers.
Highlights
from the study include:
- Nationally,
unmarried partner couples make up 5 percent of all households; the
percentage of unmarried partner couples was significantly
higher than the national average in the West and parts of the
Northeast, and significantly lower in the South.
- The
median age at first marriage for women was significantly
higher than the national average (25.1 years) in the Northeast
and California, and significantly lower in the Midwest, South
and Northwest. The District of Columbia had the highest median
age at first marriage for women (29.9), followed by Maryland
(27.4) and New York (27).
- The
percentage of births to unmarried women (national average:
29 percent) was significantly higher than average in some parts
of the South and in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, and lower than
average in most of the West, Midwest and Northeast.
The reports
concludes that among significant regional patterns, states with
relatively high proportions of women with infants below the poverty
level were related to other socioeconomic factors, such as: low
levels of maternal labor force participation, high proportion
of births among teenagers, and high proportion of births among
unmarried mothers. The analysis found no relationship between
higher proportions of women with infants in poverty and the percentage
of mothers who speak little or no English and who were non-citizens.
Indicators
of Marriage and Fertility in the United States
from the American Community Survey: 2000 to 2003
Tallese Johnson and Jane Dye, U.S. Census Bureau, 13 Oct 05
(press release)
Tables
and slide show
–
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| work-life
research: |
Family-friendly
employers --
they're really not that into you (or your family)
A new report from the Families and Work Institute
finds that supporting employees and their families is not the main
reason why employers implement family-friendly policies.
On October 13, the Families
and Work Institute released the findings of its latest
survey of 1,092 U.S. employers with 50 or more employees. According
to the Institute, the 2005 National Study of Employers is "the most comprehensive and far-reaching study of the practices,
policies, programs and benefits provided by U.S. employers to address
the needs of the changing workforce." While anecdotal reports
suggest employers are trimming family-friendly policies and benefits
in response to the shifting employment market, the 2005 NSE finds that most employers offering work life assistance programs
have made few cutbacks. However, a key finding of the report was
that employers' rationale for adopting family-friendly practices
had less to do with accommodating workers' family obligations and
more to do with business concerns. Only 19 percent of employers
who have implemented eight or more family-friendly workplace policies
cited purely altruistic reasons, such as "we are a caring organization"
or "it's the right thing to do." 47 percent of family-friendly
employers were motivated by a desire to recruit and retain employees;
another 25 percent hoped work life policies would enhance worker
"productivity and commitment." "Cost" was the
reason most often given by employers as an obstacle to implementing
more and better work life policies (46 percent), followed by "impracticalities"
related to "work schedule flexibility, supervision, and fairness"
(41 percent).
As for working time flexibility,
68 percent of employers allowed some employees to periodically change
their starting an quitting times, but only 33 percent allowed most
or all of their employees to do so, and only 13 percent of employers
allowed most or all employees to change starting and quitting times
on a daily basis. Only 3 percent of employers allow most or all
of their workers to work from home on a regular basis, although
31 percent allow some to do so. Over half (53 percent) of the employers
surveyed report they allow some employees to move from full-time
to part-time work and back again in the same position and level,
but only one in five allowed most or all employees to do so. Overall,
the study found that employers with fewer than 100 employees were
more likely to embrace a flexible workplace culture compared to
large employers (1,000 or more employees).
When the authors of the
report compared their findings to an earlier study, they found that
among companies providing temporary disability pay for new mother,
fewer offered full pay in 2005 (18 percent) than did in 1998 (27
percent). Fathers were significantly less likely to receive paid
time off following the birth of their child (12 percent). 27 percent
of employers also reported shifting more of the costs of health
care to their employees over the last two years.
The 2005 NSE suggests
that family-friendly workplace policies are here to stay, although
they may not benefit all employees in the same company to the same
extent -- and in general, smaller companies are adapting more quickly
to workers' need for flexibility.
Families
and Work Institute
www.familiesandwork.org
2005 National
Study of Employers
James T. Bond, Ellen Gallinsky, Stacy S. Kim and Erin Brownfield
Families and Work Institute, October 2005
Highlights
of Findings (10 pages, in .pdf)
Full
Report (30 pages, in .pdf)
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| parenting
and health: |
|
New
SIDS prevention guidelines call for "separate but proximate"
sleep arrangements for infants
The
American Association of Pediatrics Task Force on Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome released an updated policy statement earlier
this month which stresses the risks associated with infant-parent
co-sleeping and recommends nighttime pacifier use. While there
was a steady annual decline in the number of U.S. SIDS deaths
after the National Institute of Child Health launched the "Back
to Sleep" campaign in 1994, the Task Force notes that since
2002, the incidence of SIDS has plateaued at .56 deaths per 1,000
live births. Although the available research on the relationship
between SIDS and co-sleeping or pacifier use is by no means conclusive,
the new statement emphasizes that infants younger than 12 months
should sleep in mom's bedroom, but not in her bed. The new guidelines
also nix side-sleeping as a safer alternative to the belly-down
position, and concludes that commercial sleep apnea monitors are
virtually useless in preventing SIDS deaths and that sleep monitors
should only be used for infants who have experienced an "apparent
life-threatening event" rather than for all high-risk or
healthy babies. The report also finds that "factors associated
with breastfeeding, rather than breastfeeding itself" are
protective against SIDS.
The upshot
of all this seems to be that young babies may be less likely to
die of SIDS if they are prevented from sleeping too soundly. An
October
18 trend piece in the New York Times suggests some
chronically sleep-deprived parents may be rebelling against the
AAP's stringent prevention guidelines and putting their infants
to sleep tummy down.
The core
recommendations from the AAP SIDS Task Force remain unchanged:
no pillows, plush toys or soft bedding in or around an infant's
sleeping area, put babies to sleep on their back, avoid overheating
sleeping infants, don't smoke while pregnant and avoid exposing
infants to second-hand smoke. The AAP's recommendations might
also have urged the U.S. to implement a federally-funded program
to ensure all pregnant women receive quality prenatal care (since
there is a proven link between poor or no prenatal care, low birth
weight and increased risk for SIDS) -- but then, that would suggest
that society bears some responsibility for optimizing maternal
and infant health, and we wouldn't want to set that precedent,
would we?
Changing
Concepts of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome:
Implications for Infant Sleeping Environment and Sleep Position
Task Force on Infant Sleep Position and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
American Academy of Pediatrics, 10 Oct 05
Pacifiers
May Ease SIDS Risk
Associated Press, CBS News, 11 Oct 05
Babies should be offered pacifiers at bedtime, and they should
sleep in their parents' room -- but not in their beds -- in order
to lessen the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, the nation's
largest group of pediatricians says.
A
Quiet Revolt Against the Rules on SIDS
Brian Braiker, New York Times, 18 Oct 05
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|
| women
and leadership: |
Female
commentators scarce on Sunday A.M. pundit fests
The White House
Project, a non-profit organization aiming " to advance
women’s leadership in all sectors, up to and including the
U.S. presidency," has released an analysis of guest appearances
by women on Sunday morning political talk shows. The study finds
that although some networks have shown dramatic increases in the
number of women invited to share their informed points of view with
the regular roundup of male pundits, overall only 14 percent of
Sunday morning talk show guest were women -- up just 3 percent from
2001, when the White House Project conducted a similar review. The
Project also found that over half of the shows the monitored had
no female guest at all, and female guests were significantly less
likely to have repeat appearances (37 female talking heads were
invited back for another round, compared to 186 male guests). The
report breaks down findings by network, the topics on which women
were asked to comment, and the occupational background women talk
show guests.
The
White House Project
www.thewhitehouseproject.org
Who's
Talking Now:
A Followup Analysis of Guest Appearances by Women on the Sunday
Morning Talk Shows
The White House Project, October 2005
Full Report (includes Executive Summary, 56 pages in .pdf)
Related
article:
If
these broads could talk
Rebecca Traister, Salon, 13 Oct 05
"Women now make up 14 percent of the combined total of guest
appearances on the five Sunday talk shows. Way to go, three percentage
points! Just one short of the percentage of women in Congress! For
those of you who are not great with percentages, here's what 14
percent means: From Nov. 7, 2004, to July 10, 2005, there were 787
guest appearances on the Sunday morning shows. Of those, 107 were
made by chicks."
--
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|
Other
news and commentary on women and politics:
Thelma
for president!
Rebecca Traister, Salon,
29 Sept 05
At a party to celebrate the debut of "Commander in Chief"
feminists hissed, cheered and even got a little weepy.
If
Women Ruled the World, Nothing Would Be Different
Lisa Jervis, Lip
Magazine, 15 Sept 05
The biggest problem with American feminism today is its obsession
with women.
The
Elusive Women's Vote
Ruth Rosen, AlterNet,
14 Oct 05
A new book that tracks women's voting trends doesn't tell us enough
about how women will vote in the next elections. (A short review
of pollsters Celinda Lake and Kellyanne Conway's "What Women
Really Want.")
Can
a Man Become President?
Sherman Yellen, AlterNet,
11 Oct 05
Real men are not towel snapping bullies like President Bush, whose
target is the poor and those least able to defend themselves.
A
Woman, At Least
Martha Burk, TomPaine.com,
4 Oct 05
"If the court looked approximately like America, it would
have five women and four men, one of the individuals would be
Hispanic, and one would be black. To correct the imbalance in
representation, this president and future ones should establish
a 'female first' philosophy as a given. Not only this seat, but
the next three, should be filled with females."
--
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|
| jobs,
wages and the economy: |
| Despite
U.S. economic growth, percentage of workers with good jobs is unchanged
since 1970s
The Center for Economic Policy Research has published
an analysis finding that substantial growth of the nation's economy
since 1979 has not increased the proportion of "good"
jobs available in the U.S. The report defines good jobs as those
that offer at least $16.00 and hour (or $32,000 annually), employer
paid health insurance, and a pension. Although the GDP per capita
has grown 60 percent since the late 1970s, it has not produced a
greater share of good jobs; in both 1979 and 2004, about one in
four workers had a "good" job, even though the age and
education level of the workforce has increased over that period
of time. Based on this growth of "human capital," the
reports suggests that in the last 25 years, the ability of the U.S.
economy to produce good jobs has actually fallen by 25 to 30 percent.
The report also finds that in 2004, about 27 percent of working
Americans were in "bad" jobs (less than $16/hour, no health
insurance, no pension), nearly the same number that had bad jobs
in 1979 (28 percent).
Although the CEPR analysis doesn't include a breakdown of workers
in good and bad jobs by sex or address the 48 percent of American
workers in neither "good" nor "bad" jobs, it
does suggest that creating more good jobs with good benefits depends
on more than overall economic growth.
Center for Economic Policy Research
ww.cepr.net
How
Good is the Economy at Creating Good Jobs?
John Schmitt, Center for Economic Policy Research, October 2005
(17 pages, in .pdf)
Related summary from the Economic
Policy Institute:
Economy
up, people down
Declining earnings undercut income growth
Income Picture, 31 Aug 05
Although the economy expanded solidly in 2004, the inflation-adjusted
income of the median household was unchanged and remains $1,700,
or 3.8%, below its most recent peak in 1999.
–
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More
news and commentary about women, jobs and economic trends
The
Working Mommy Trap
E.J. Graff, TomePaine.com,
5 Oct 05
"The message is quite explicit: Women don’t make as much
as men because they don’t want to—so stop whining already.
But this focus on women’s “choices” masks a far
more profound story. The real trend isn’t choice; it’s
the lack thereof. Most women have to work, because they and their
families need the paycheck. But they’re also treated unfairly
on the job."
Also
on TomPaine.com:
Letters
in response to E.J. Graff's "The Working Mommy Trap"
"I have a hard time having sympathy for women who choose to
have families and are passed over for promotions 'just because'
they are mothers and might not commit enough time to their jobs
in lieu of their families. In this day of freely available birth
control methods, having or adopting children is a lifestyle choice
that we are all free to make. I do not think it is all that unfair
of employers and fellow employees to be upset when a working parent
is constantly leaving early or calling off because of their children.
If your career is that important to you, then don't have children,
or make your partner stay home and take care of them."
Working
Hard or Hardly Working
Rachel Neumann, AlterNet,
19 Oct 05
In this exclusive interview, Barbara Ehrenreich talks about the
thin line between the middle class and the working poor and why
she wants to slap the next person who insists on the power of positive
thinking.
Are
Coaches the Answer to White-Collar Unemployment?
Barbara Ehrenreich, AlterNet,
27 Sept 05
In an excerpt from her new book 'Bait and Switch,' the author of
'Nickel and Dimed' explores the dubious industry of career coaches,
intended to help frustrated job-seekers find their true callings.
New
programs aim to help mothers
who are looking to reenter workplace
Maggie Jackson, Boston
Globe, 9 Oct 05
"Job hunting is tough when you're a mother. Motherhood is a
stigma in the labor market and taking time off for parenting is
often a door-closer. But take heart. A raft of opportunities have
been created in the last year for returning moms."
The
Real Reasons You're Working So Hard...
and what you can do about it
Business Week
Online, October 2005
"With so many managers and professionals stuck at work, there
is a growing consensus among management gurus that the stuck-at-work
epidemic is symptomatic of a serious disorder in the organization
of corporations."
A
Poverty Of Understanding
Nancy Cauthen, TomPaine.com,
30 Sept 05
"Research indicates that it takes an income of anywhere between
one and a half to three times the current poverty level to meet
basic family needs. Using twice the poverty level as a proxy, 38
percent of the nation’s children -- some 29 million -- are
living in families with inadequate incomes. The bottom line is that
by any reasonable standard, we have a big problem."
Growing
Gulf Between Rich and Rest of Us
Holly Sklar, Common
Dreams, 3 Oct 05
America is becoming a downwardly mobile society instead of an upwardly
mobile society.
–
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| katrina's
aftermath: |
Assessing
the needs of Gulf Coast women
The Institute
for Women's Policy Research has released the first briefing
paper in two-part series on the status of women in New Orleans and
the Gulf Coast, and key assets for their recovery in the wake of
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The first paper focuses on race, gender
and class in relation to women's well-being in the Gulf Coast, and
concludes that, "like many women of the south," Gulf Coast
women "face multiple disadvantages… they are more likely
to be poor and lack health insurance and less likely to earn good
wages that women elsewhere in the United States. They are also disproportionately
African American and experience discrimination based on both race
and sex." The IWPR's policy checklist to "help women in
the Gulf Coast region achieve the best possible economic outcomes
moving forward" includes jobs with living wages, job training
and education and strengthening affirmative action policies in the
rebuilding process, making public assistance available to those
who need it but may have reached state or federal time limits on
TANF benefits, meeting women's basic needs for food and healthcare,
and making child available for those seeking to reestablish their
lives.
Institute
for Women's Policy Research
www.iwpr.org
The
Women of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast:
Multiple Disadvantages and Key Assets for Recovery
Barbara Gault, Heidi Hartmen, Avis Jones-DeWeever, Mish Weschkul,
and Erica Williams
Institute for Women's Policy Research, October 2005
(12 pages, in .pdf)
–
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| elsewhere
on the web: |
Notable
news and commentary on "opting out," reproductive rights
and other timely issues
Mothers
at Work Are Canaries in the Mine
Charlotte Fishman, Women's
eNews , 19 Oct 05
Working mothers may be shortchanged, off-balance and fun-deprived,
but Charlotte Fishman says they are also at the forefront of another
dynamic social movement. Too bad a recent front-page New York Times
article missed that angle.
What
Women Want: A Rebuttal to the Times
Linda Basch, Ilene Lang and Deborah Merrill-Sands,
AlterNet,
3 Oct 05
A recent New York Times trend-piece on over-achieving women headed
for homemaking sparked furious debate; the authors argue for a new
frame.
Now
Comes the Bride:
Why marrying young is suddenly mod
Victoria Ilyinsky, The
Harvard Crimson Online, 6 Oct 05
"I don’t think I’m the only young adult fueling
the backlash against late motherhood. We were, on the whole, brought
up by youthful, energetic mothers who are now exploring pilates
alongside us, buying mini-iPods before us, and planning to be present
for our childrens’ childrens’ bridal parties. I want
to give that security and that vitality to my little Christopher,
Abigail, and Jack (almost all the girls I know have already named
their children, thank you very much)."
A
Bite of Post-Feminism
Rena Xu, Harvard
Crimson Online, 17 Oct 05
"Recent surveys of women currently attending Ivy League institutions
have shown that a remarkable number already expect to replace their
careers with part-time jobs, or simply abandon them entirely, once
they start having children… What makes this phenomenon intriguing
is that its subtly yet substantially regressive nature is masked
by a veneer of progressiveness."
Rocking
the Cradle of Class
Hara Estroff Marano, Psychology
Today, Sept/Oct 2005
Social class used to be something you're born into. But now that
the world is flat and fast and fluid, parents are seeking status
in the achievements of their children. The trouble with turning
tots into trophies is that the developmental needs of the young
are sacrificed to the psychological needs of adults.
The
Day Care Scare
Nina Shapiro, Seattle
Weekly, Oct 5-1, 2005
Four years ago, research seemed to indicate that day care was turning
out a generation of bullies. Now, new data suggest those fears were
way overblown, and the national day-care debate is about to be rekindled.
Housing
Buys Time for Women Fleeing Violence
Juliette Terzieff, Women's
eNews, 16 Oct 05
The Violence Against Women Act was reauthorized in time for Domestic
Violence Awareness Month in October. As lawmakers debate which programs
to fund advocates say transitional housing is a top priority.
Kids
Of Same-Sex Parents Do Fine
CBS News, WebMD,
12 Oct 05
"Researchers looked at information gleaned from 15 studies
on more than 500 children, evaluating possible stigma, teasing and
social isolation, adjustment and self-esteem, opposite gender role
models, sexual orientation, and strengths… 'The vast consensus
of all the studies shows that children of same-sex parents do as
well as children whose parents are heterosexual in every way.'"
No
school nurses left behind
Laurie Udesky, Salon,
29 Sept 05
Once a comforting presence in most public schools, full-time nurses
are increasingly scarce. Now teaching assistants, secretaries and
other nonmedical personnel are trying to care for sick children
-- with often tragic results.
Endless
summer
Sarah Karnasiewicz, Salon,
3 Oct 05
Unschooling is a radical branch of home-schooling where kids control
what and when they learn -- free of teachers, schedules and tests.
Unschoolers say it's intellectually empowering. Critics call it
irresponsible.
Get
Hitched, Young Woman
Ruth Rosen, TomPaine.com,
26 Sept 05
"The Bush administration only believes in accountability and
personal responsibility when it involves women’s sexuality
and their reproductive choices."
When
Mom and Dad Don't Know Best
Jennifer Baumgardner, AlterNet,
28 Sept 2005
Twenty-three years ago, I helped my teenage sister get an abortion,
without telling our parents. Today her story is still proof to me
that parental consent laws don't work.
The
High Price of Donation
Jennifer Liss, AlterNet,
7 Oct 05
Young college women are increasingly being targeted by egg donation
agencies for their good looks and their good grades.
Plan
B Activists Prepare for Next Battle
Molly M. Ginty, Women's
eNews, 10 Oct 05
During a public comment period that ends Nov. 1, advocates are pushing
the acting FDA commissioner to ease over-the-counter access to emergency
contraception. The previous FDA chief delayed access in August,
then suddenly resigned on Sept. 23.
Endometriosis
Researchers Share Data, Unknowns
Molly M. Ginty, Women's
eNews, 13 Oct 05
Endometriosis affects 10 percent of U.S. women and can lead to infertility.
Last weekend, researchers focused on new treatments for a disease
that lacks a definitive cure.
The
Changing Face of Sexual Harassment
Justin Clark, AlterNet,
30 Sept 05
As some companies grow more lenient about love and sex in the workplace,
American laws and attitudes are struggling to keep up.
Are
babies not equally innocent?
Cecelie S. Berry, Salon,
30 Sept 05
Bill Bennett's statement about blacks and crime shows that we have
not yet achieved America's greatest value: Equality.
Bill
Bennett's Abortion Fantasies
Mark Sorkin, Common
Dreams, 4 Oct 05
"Leaving aside the question of whether Bennett considers eugenics
or abortion the greater sin, the statement was so outrageous it
hardly deserves a second thought beyond immediate censure. But give
the man some credit for his timing: At a moment when Americans are
already roiling over the Bush Administration's racist response to
Hurricane Katrina, Bennett managed to turn up the heat."
GOP
Silent on Race Trash Talk
Earl Ofari Hutchinson, AlterNet,
3 Oct 05
"The reaction was swift and angry to former Reagan honcho William
Bennett's oddball racist crack that aborting black babies could
reduce crime. The problem though was that those who instantly denounced
Bennett were all Democrats. Even as calls were made for an apology,
or his firing from his syndicated national radio show, neither President
Bush or any other top GOP leader said a mumbling word about Bennett."
Monkey
Business and Moral Panic
E.J. Graff, AlterNet,
12 Oct 05
American journalists aren't shy about reporting on sex and politics.
Unfortunately, they're covering precisely the wrong stories.
–
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| October
2005
previously
in mmo noteworthy ... |
|
|
