Gender and Home-Based Employment

Gender often influences the type of occupation that individuals choose as well as the way they work and the outcomes of that work. Home-based employment is no different. The proximity of these workers to their families'' living activities provides an unique opportunity to study the effects of work-at-home on family interaction and the role that gender plays in this traditionally female-dominated situation.The chapters provide a range of gender considerations from the perspectives of the workers and the workers'' families with emphasis on either the workers the family or the work/business. The first chapter provides an overview of the subjects being covered and defines several of the concepts used. The range of viewpoints is extensive: Chapter 2 considers home-based employment from a global perspective while Chapter 8 narrows the focus to one particular location and type of home-based worker. Chapters 3 4 5 and 7 examine in various ways the data from a 9-state study basing their analyses in theoretical and conceptual frameworks related to gender. Chapter 6 explores the dilemma of parents who have to hire child care in order to complete their home-based work. Also included are recommendations for public policy considerations.