Women's employment is one of the most widely-discussed and often-misunderstood issues of modern society. Are women today oppressed, or do they have the best of both worlds? Do women have to go out to work to gain equality with men, or do they already do more than their share of domestic work, caring work and voluntary work as well as work in the informal economy? Do women seek careers on the same terms as men, or are they content to be dependent wives or secondary earners taking jobs on a short-term basis? How important is job segregation in explaining the 20% pay gap between men and women? Have equal opportunities laws had any real impact? Are women in Europe lagging behind, or are they at the forefront of developments in modern societies? This new updated edition of Catherine Hakim's classic text addresses all the key issues currently debated in relation to women's work - in the domestic sphere, as well as paid employment. Dr Hakim tests the power of patriarchy theory and preference theory against economic theories. Sex discrimination, work-life balance, part-time work, flexible hours, homeworking, career patterns across the life cycle, labour mobility, labour turnover, the returns to education, occupational segregation, the pay gap, the glass ceiling, and the impact of European Union policies are all considered. Analysis of historical developments over the twentieth century, based on censuses, is complemented by case studies of people working in occupations undergoing dramatic change. Throughout the book, comparisons are drawn between the USA, Britain, other European countries, Canada, Australia, and also China, Japan and other Far Eastern societies. The analysis draws on sociology, economics, psychology, labour law, history and social anthropology to conclude that the diversity of women's life goals and lifestyle preferences is increasing. This explains the growing polarisation of women's employment and many contradictory recent research results.

Women's employment is one of the most widely-discussed and often-misunderstood issues of modern society. Are women today oppressed, or do they have the best of both worlds? Do women have to go out to work to gain equality with men, or do they already do more than their share of domestic work, caring work and voluntary work as well as work in the informal economy? Do women seek careers on the same terms as men, or are they content to be dependent wives or secondary earners taking jobs on a short-term basis? How important is job segregation in explaining the 20% pay gap between men and women? Have equal opportunities laws had any real impact? Are women in Europe lagging behind, or are they at the forefront of developments in modern societies? This new updated edition of Catherine Hakim's classic text addresses all the key issues currently debated in relation to women's work - in the domestic sphere, as well as paid employment. Dr Hakim tests the power of patriarchy theory and preference theory against economic theories. Sex discrimination, work-life balance, part-time work, flexible hours, homeworking, career patterns across the life cycle, labour mobility, labour turnover, the returns to education, occupational segregation, the pay gap, the glass ceiling, and the impact of European Union policies are all considered. Analysis of historical developments over the twentieth century, based on censuses, is complemented by case studies of people working in occupations undergoing dramatic change. Throughout the book, comparisons are drawn between the USA, Britain, other European countries, Canada, Australia, and also China, Japan and other Far Eastern societies. The analysis draws on sociology, economics, psychology, labour law, history and social anthropology to conclude that the diversity of women's life goals and lifestyle preferences is increasing. This explains the growing polarisation of women's employment and many contradictory recent research results.

This work provides a practical overview for graduates and professional researchers of the central issues involved in the design of medium to large scale social and economic research. Covering both theoretical and policy research "Hakim" sets out the key features, strengths and limitations of eight main types of study, with illustrations from real-life research of the kinds of questions each can best be used to answer. This book also offers a more general discussion of strategies for choosing between one design and another, and on how different types of study can be successfully combined in wider-ranging research programmes. In this expanded second edition the author has added new material on areas of contemporary significance across the social and economic sciences. New features to this edition are: a chapter on cross-national comparative studies; more examples throughout the text of comparative research both within Europe and across modern societies; and discussions of student theses, advocacy research, selection effects and collaboration.

In this book, Hakim presents a new, multi-disciplinary theory for explaining and predicting current and future patterns of women's choice between employment and family work. Preference theory is the first theory developed specifically to explain women's behaviour and choices. As such, it constitutes a major break from male-centred theorizing to date in sociology and economics. Preference theory is grounded on the substantial body of new research on women's work and fertility that has flourished within feminist scholarship. It identifies five major historical changes that collectively are producing a qualitatively new scenario for women in prosperous societies in the 21st century. Throughout the analysis, the USA and Britain illustrate what the new scenario means for women, how it alters their preferences and work-lifestyles choices. Hakim also reviews research evidence on contemporary developments across Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan, and the far East to develop a new theory that is genuine international in perspective.

Contents:
Key to Abbreviations Preface 1. Introduction 2. Part One: Types of Research Study 3. Research Reviews, Meta-analysis and Secondary Analysis 4. Qualitative Research 5. Administrative Records and Documents 6. Cast Studies 7. Ad Hoc Sample Surveys 8. Regular Surveys 9. Longitudinal Studies 10. Experimental Social Research 11.Part Two: Putting Together a Research Design 12. Choices and Combinations 13. Research Programmes 14. The Organisation and Funding of Research 15. Cross-National Comparative Studies 15. Conclusion Bibliography Author Index Subject Index

This is the first comparative study of the long-term development of women's part-time work in Europe and the United States.The authors analyse a wealth of longitudinal and and cross-sectional data on the work force, generating a powerful critique of the dominant equalizing and marginalizing perspectives. They argue instead that women's increasing part-time employment in modern societies must be examined in the context of the sexual division of labour within the family.

Could the web be changing the very nature of the bond between the sexes? While eighty per cent of those interviewed in polls say that affairs are wrong, the percentage who admit to having had an affair in the past has doubled every ten years to 2010. Aided for the first time by frank interviews conducted with those who use websites dedicated to married people, The New Rules seeks to uncover the secretive world of affairs that do not destroy marriages. Looking at the latest data, Catherine Hakim traces a new faultline where the power between men and women is shifting in our increasingly sexualized culture.

One of the UK's most contentious sociologists presents a new theory for explaining current and future patterns of women's choices between employment and family work. Preference theory constitutes a major break from male-centred theorizing in sociology and economics in the 20th century. Extensive examples from the USA and Britain illustrate how current social and economic changes are altering women's work-lifestyle choices.

This pathbreaking study examines some key developments in the nature and pattern of work in the UK. Drawing on recently released data from the British 1991 Census, the author offers fresh insights on issues such as the degree of gender segregation in occupations and workplaces, the nature of trends towards self-employment and home-working, and the diverse nature of part-time work. The book also presents comparisons with research results for the USA and other Western European countries.

In 2010, pioneering sociologist Catherine Hakim shocked the world with a provocative new theory: In addition to the three recognized personal assets (economic, cultural, and social capital), each individual has a fourth asset--erotic capital--that he or she can, and should, use to advance within society.

In this bold and controversial book, Hakim explores the applications and significance of erotic capital, challenging the disapproval meted out to women and men who use sex appeal to get ahead in life. Social scientists have paid little serious attention to these modes of personal empowerment, despite overwhelming evidence of their importance. In "Erotic Capital," Hakim marshals a trove of research to show that rather than degrading those who employ it, erotic capital represents a powerful and potentially equalizing tool--one that we scorn only to our own detriment.

This study provides an examination of women's employment in the UK. It considers such aspects as sex discrimination, patriarchy, part-time work, flexible hours, homeworking, marriage and career patterns, employment rights and the exploitation of part-timers, pay, and occupational segregation.