Married to the Job examines an important but under-researched area: the relationships of wives to their husbands' work. Janet Finch looks both at the way women's lives are directly affected by the work their husbands do and how they can get drawn into it. These she sees as the two sides of wives' 'incorporation'. Dr Finch discusses a wide range of occupations, from obvious stereotypes - services, diplomatic, clergy and political wives - to more subtle but equally valid shades of involvement - the wives of policemen, merchant seamen, prison officers, the owners of small businesses and academics. She stresses that this process is by no means confined to the wives of professional men; she argues that the nature of the work done and the way it is organised are more important pointers to the ways in which wives will be incorporated. For specific illustrations, Dr Finch draws substantially on her own original research on wives of the clergy. Married to the Job clearly shows that marriage itself (not just child-bearing) is an important feature of women's subordination. Dr Finch points to the links between husband's work, the family and its relationship to economic structures, and suggests that wives are tied into those structures as much as anything through their vicarious involvement in their husband's work. She views any prospects for change with caution. The organisation of social and economic life makes it difficult for wives to break free from this incorporation even should they wish to; it makes economic good sense for them to continue in most cases; social life is organised so as to make compliance easy; and it provides a comprehensible way of being a wife. As an empirically-based survey of women's subordination within marriage, Married to the Job will prove essential reading to all those concerned about the position of women, whether feminists, academics or general readers. It will also provide important background material for undergraduate courses on women's studies, the sociology of the family, the sociology of work and family policy.

What are the realities of 'community care' - the unpaid care given by hundreds of thousands of women, often in their own homes - for children and adults who are handicapped or chronically sick, or for frail elderly people? Originally published in 1983, this book explores the experiences of such women and the dilemmas which 'caring' poses for them. At a time when most women needed to earn money from a paid job, how did 'carers' manage to juggle their caring and other domestic responsibilities, and what happened if they had to give up work? Against a background of government policies which favour care 'by' the community, the contributors to this book raise crucial issues for social and economic policy. Hilary Graham examines what caring really means and Clare Ungerson asks why women do it. Sally Baldwin and Caroline Glendinning focus on mothers with handicapped children and Fay Wright on single adults with elderly dependants. Alan Walker highlights the dependencies implicit in caring relationships with the elderly. Lesley Rimmer looks at the economic 'costs' of care, and Dulcie Groves and Janet Finch examine the invalid care allowance - a carers' benefit for which married women can never qualify. In exploring the domestic sector of welfare, A Labour of Love was a highly topical contribution to the debate both on welfare provision and on the division of labour between men and women at the time.

Originally published in 1981 Practice and Progress is a collection examining the changes that have occurred in the theories, methodologies and practices of sociology, in the institutional and educational setting of the subject, and in British society. The themes pursued include the professionalization of sociology its development and standing in the universities; the impact on it of Marxism and feminism and the major debates over positivism and empiricism, quantitative methods, linguistic analysis; and numerous other crucial methodological and theoretical concerns.

Originally published in 1981 Practice and Progress is a collection examining the changes that have occurred in the theories, methodologies and practices of sociology, in the institutional and educational setting of the subject, and in British society. The themes pursued include the professionalization of sociology its development and standing in the universities; the impact on it of Marxism and feminism and the major debates over positivism and empiricism, quantitative methods, linguistic analysis; and numerous other crucial methodological and theoretical concerns.

This major study examines the increasing significance of inheritance for life in ordinary families. It considers questions of individual choice versus family responsibilities, the internal dynamics of families, and broader implications for social change. This book is intended for undergraduates and postgraduates on courses in the sociology of the family, social policy, gender studies and social anthropology, as well as students and researchers within socio-legal studies and family law.

This major study examines the increasing significance of inheritance for life in ordinary families. It considers questions of individual choice versus family responsibilities, the internal dynamics of families, and broader implications for social change. This book is intended for undergraduates and postgraduates on courses in the sociology of the family, social policy, gender studies and social anthropology, as well as students and researchers within socio-legal studies and family law.

Negotiating Family Responsibilities provides a major new insight into contemporary family life, particularly kin relationships outside the nuclear family. While many people believe that the real meaning of 'family' has shrunk to the nuclear family household, there is considerable evidence to suggest that relationships with the wider kin group remain an important part of most people's lives. Based on the findings of a major study of kinship, and including lively verbatim accounts of conversations with family members concepts of responsibility and obligation within family life are examined and the authors expand theories on the nature of assistance within families and argue that it is negotiated over time rather than given automatically.

For some time access to publicly provided services has been shrinking and governments have been emphasizing the family as the first line of support, but how far do such policies accord with what people will provide for their relatives, and with contemporary ideas about what it is proper to expect from family members? This book examines patterns of support, both practical and financial, between adult members of family and kin groups, and focuses upon ideas about responsibility, duty and obligation within families and how far these underpin the support actually given. This text provides an insight into contemporary family life, particularly kin relationships outside the nuclear family. While many people believe that the real meaning of "family" has shrunk to the nuclear family household, there is considerable evidence to suggest that relationships with the wider kin group remain an important part of most people's lives. Based on the findings of a major study of kinship, and including lively verbatim accounts of conversations with family members, concepts of responsibility and obligation within family life are examined.

Married to the Job examines an important but under-researched area: the relationships of wives to their husbands work. Janet Finch looks both at the way women s lives are directly affected by the work their husbands do and how they can get drawn into it. These she sees as the two sides of wives incorporation . Dr Finch discusses a wide range of occupations, from obvious stereotypes services, diplomatic, clergy and political wives to more subtle but equally valid shades of involvement the wives of policemen, merchant seamen, prison officers, the owners of small businesses and academics. She stresses that this process is by no means confined to the wives of professional men; she argues that the nature of the work done and the way it is organised are more important pointers to the ways in which wives will be incorporated. For specific illustrations, Dr Finch draws substantially on her own original research on wives of the clergy."

Married to the Job" clearly shows that marriage itself (not just child-bearing) is an important feature of women s subordination. Dr Finch points to the links between husband s work, the family and its relationship to economic structures, and suggests that wives are tied into those structures as much as anything through their vicarious involvement in their husband s work. She views any prospects for change with caution. The organisation of social and economic life makes it difficult for wives to break free from this incorporation even should they wish to; it makes economic good sense for them to continue in most cases; social life is organised so as to make compliance easy; and it provides a comprehensible way of being a wife.

As an empirically-based survey of women s subordination within marriage, "Married to the Job" will prove essential reading to all those concerned about the position of women, whether feminists, academics or general readers. It will also provide important background material for undergraduate courses on women s studies, the sociology of the family, the sociology of work and family policy.

How we distribute our assets after death is no longer a question for a small wealthy section of society: increasing numbers of people must now decide how to structure wills and to bequeath money and possessions across generations: not only to family and kin but to charities and institutions also. This path-breaking study offers an empirical study of 800 English wills and uses the material to reflect upon what they tell us of contemporary family and kin relationships. It will be of great interest to lawyers, anthropologists, sociologists and social historians.