177. How Women "Hold It Together" and Create Impactful Change in The World

What's Working Now

Other countries have social safety nets. The U.S. has women. Holding It Together shows us the cause and the consequences. America runs on women—women who are tasked with holding societytogether at the seams and fixing it when things fall apart. In this tour de force, acclaimed Sociologist Jessica Calarco lays bare the devastating consequences of our status quo in richly detailed and empathetic prose. HOLDING IT TOGETHER: How Women Became America’s Safety Net chronicles the devastating consequences of our DIY society and traces its root causes by drawing together historical, media, and policy analyses and five years of Calarco’s original research. With surveys of 4,000 parents and more than 400 hours of interviews across the socioeconomic, racial, and political spectrum, Calarco illustrates how women have been forced to bear the brunt of our broken system and why no one seems to care.
Despite their effort, women constantly feel guilty for not doing more, and Calarco poignantly shows us how the US weaponizes that guilt and gaslights women into believing that they don’t deserve help. Yet women's labor is the reason we've been getting by without a comprehensive public safety net, while maintaining the illusion that we don't need one.Weaving together eye-opening research and a revelatory sociological narrative, HOLDING IT TOGETHER is a bold call to demand the institutional change that each of us deserves, and a warning about the perils of living without it.
Jessica Calarco is Associate Professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin. An expert
on families, schools, and inequalities, and a mom of two, she is the author of multiple award-
winning books and has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post,
and Inside Higher Ed, as well as appeared on CNN, CNBC, NPR, and the BBC to discuss her
research.
Key Takeaways
-The discussion highlights how U.S. social policies are designed in ways that can trap women, particularly low-income women and women of color, in motherhood and exploitation, making it difficult for them to achieve economic independence.
-The importance of collective action among women is emphasized. By coming together and sharing experiences, women can support each other and work towards demanding better social policies and structures that facilitate care and economic opportunities.
-While acknowledging the systemic challenges women face, the conversation encourages a shift away from viewing women solely as victims.
- Research indicates that women in the U.S. experience higher levels of guilt compared to those in countries with stronger social safety nets.
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