Focuses on vital contemporary issues
Women in the work force today are still subjected to the "glass ceiling," sexual discrimination, income inequality, stereotyping, and other obstacles to equal employment and professional advancement. Now a collection of 150 original articles written for this handbook explores the challenges and career blocks that today's women face in the workplace, discuss important contemporary issues, and offers a wide range of facts and data on women's employment.
Offers insights and information
The "Handbook" answer hundreds of questions as it illuminates current achievements and obstacles to success for women in the marketplace. Drawing upon a growing body of research in the social and behavioral sciences, the articles provide insights into such issues as the sex segregation of occupations, comparable worth, women in traditionally male occupations, career plans of college women, gende4r bias in job evaluations and personnel decisions, sexual harassment, the gendered culture of organizations, the effects of maternal employment on children and child care, and more. The articles draw on extensive research and studies on women in the workplace across the U.S. and around the world. A valuable research aid
This handbook presents the reader with a broadly-based understanding of women's work experiences and provides a useful set of sources for in depth research. It is a valuable reference for professors, librarians, researchers, guidance counselors, and students who need reliable, up-to-date information. The handbook includes a subject and name index.

Women and Work: A Reader is the first book to offer a comprehensive global exploration of the challenges and career blocks that today's women face in the workplace. Despite benefiting from the struggles of previous generations, working women today still face a dismaying gantlet of sexual discrimination. This encyclopedic collection of 150 original articles by top scholars takes an interdisciplinary look at the issues faced by women of all ages, races, ethnic backgrounds, and nationalities in a spectrum of diverse occupations, from doctors to journalists, from nuns to soldiers. A variety of perspectives are used to investigate women's work experience at individual, organizational, and societal levels. Some of the essays focus on how women fare in a variety of occupations, summarizing women's representation in different jobs and discussing the unique problems they face. Others examine the influences of religious and educational institutions on women's career choices. Women and Work also reviews the history of protective legislation. The contributors consider current research on women's work interests, commitment, and satisfaction and examine sexual discrimination, harassment, and coercion, as well as gender bias in job evaluations and personnel decisions. They also explore various strategies for reducing or eliminating discrimination, harassment, and wage discrimination. Issues surrounding the work/family intersection are addressed, including when to have children, the difficulties that arise from the competing demands of work and child care, the consequences for women's careers, research examining the effects of mothers' employment on children's development, and issues surrounding eldercare. The volume also surveys the status of women in an international framework, analyzing women and work in selected countries, and is arranged to reflect the varying levels of development. Women and Work is a valuable reference book, providing a thoughtful overview of the issues facing working women. Paula J. Dubeck is an associate professor and head of the sociology department at the University of Cincinnati. Kathryn Borman is a professor of education and anthropology at the University of South Florida.