The circular trap: women and part-time work

Abstract

Seen as an option that opens the way to alternative structures of employment and lifestyles, even feminists have suggested that profound and long-range changes may take place with respect to a fundamental sexual division of labor that has historically situated women exclusively in the home. Accordingly, Ms. magazine recently extolled part-time work as "a way of humanizing the workplace and promoting equality; of permitting men to spend more time at home and women more time at the office"3, assuming that men and women equally will take advantage of part-time employment opportunities.