Secondary Breadwinners: Israeli Women in the Labor Force

(Hardback)

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Though living and working in a country founded on egalitarian principles, women in Israel have yet to achieve workplace parity with men. The first comprehensive account of women's participation in the Israeli labor force, Kraus's book analyzes the trends in the status of women in paid employment since the 1960s. Covering all aspects of labor force participation, she fully integrates, and tracks over time, the many facets of social stratification by gender in Israeli society. Though founded as an egalitarian society, Kraus's research clearly shows that traditional attitudes toward women in the Israeli workplace have prevailed over those more progressive. Consequently, the widely held impression that the status of women in Israel differs from that of their counterparts in other liberal democratic societies, is shown to be more myth than reality. Though focusing on Israel, comparisons are made with other modern industrial societies, adding to the evidence accumulating on the changing trends in the status of women in the labor force that will interest scholars and students concerned as to how gender intersects with matters of political economy. Furthermore, the unique spectrum of communities in Israel, ranging from traditional Muslim Arab-Palestinians, through Christian Arab-Palestinians and Jews of African American origin, through to the more modernized Jews of European-American origin, enables simultaneous examinations of the various stages of women's integration in the labor force.

Reviews

.,."examines the changing position of Jewish and Palestinian women in the Israeli labor force from the 1950s to the 1990s."-Reference & Research Book News
...examines the changing position of Jewish and Palestinian women in the Israeli labor force from the 1950s to the 1990s.-Reference & Research Book News
Analyzes patterns in women's employment since the 1960s and argues that traditional attitudes have prevailed over progressivism.-The Chronicle of Higher Education
Research on gender and stratification in Israel owes Vered Kraus a great debt for producing the first comprehensive portrait of women's employment in Israel.-American Journal of Sociology
Secondary Breadinners provides and in-depth examination of women's roles in the Israeli labor force since the 1960's. Kraus's research demonstrates that, despite popular perception, traditional attitudes still affect female workers in Isreal, defying the notion that Israeli women enjoy equality unknown by women in other countries. Comparisons with labor trends in other countries provide a wealth of information about gender and economics.-MiddleEast Journal
This comprehensive study of women's involvement in the Israeli labor market will serve as a useful point of reference for a wide range of scholars....Recommended for upper-division undergraduate through faculty collections.-Choice
..."examines the changing position of Jewish and Palestinian women in the Israeli labor force from the 1950s to the 1990s."-Reference & Research Book News
"Analyzes patterns in women's employment since the 1960s and argues that traditional attitudes have prevailed over progressivism."-The Chronicle of Higher Education
"Research on gender and stratification in Israel owes Vered Kraus a great debt for producing the first comprehensive portrait of women's employment in Israel."-American Journal of Sociology
"This comprehensive study of women's involvement in the Israeli labor market will serve as a useful point of reference for a wide range of scholars....Recommended for upper-division undergraduate through faculty collections."-Choice
"Secondary Breadinners provides and in-depth examination of women's roles in the Israeli labor force since the 1960's. Kraus's research demonstrates that, despite popular perception, traditional attitudes still affect female workers in Isreal, defying the notion that Israeli women enjoy equality unknown by women in other countries. Comparisons with labor trends in other countries provide a wealth of information about gender and economics."-MiddleEast Journal

Author Bio

Vered Kraus is Associate Professor at the University of Haifa, Israel, and co-edited Promises In the Promised Land: Mobility and Inequality in Israel (Greenwood Press, 1990) with Robert W. Hodge.