The Career Mystique shows that most Americans-men and women-continue to embrace the myth that hard work, long hours, and continuous employment pay off, even though it is out of date and out of place in twenty-first-century America. Phyllis Moen and Patricia Roehling argue that the lock step arrangements around education, work, family, and retirement no longer fit the realities and risks of contemporary living, yet the roles, rules, and regulations spawned by the career mystique remain in place. This books shows that ambiguities and uncertainties about the future abound in boardrooms, in offices, and on factory floors, as Americans face the realities of corporate restructuring, chronic job insecurity, and double demands at work and at home. Moen and Roehling show the career mystique for what it is: a false myth standing in the way of creating new, alternative workplaces and career flexibilities. Based on research funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the National Institute on Aging.

About the Author
Phyllis Moen holds the McKnight Presidential Chair of Sociology at the University of Minnesota. She is the author of Working Parents and Women's Two Roles and editor of It's About Time: Couples and Careers. She recently served as president of the Eastern Sociological Society. Patricia Roehling is professor and chair of the psychology department at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.

Reviews
In this compelling, clearly written, and well-researched book, Moen and Roehling make the best case I've seen for sustainable careers. If it's good for the environment, why shouldn't we do it for human beings? A powerful idea whose time has come. -- Arlie Hochschild, author of The Commercialization of Intimate Life and The Time Bind
The book provides interesting details, including international examples and excellent references. Highly recommended. * CHOICE *
Worthy of attention. * PsycCRITIQUES *
Provokes a great deal of reflection in the reader, challenging us to think in new ways about a plethora of interconnected aspects of the social world. An accessible sociological text. * Work, Employment and Society *
The Career Mystique is a chilling account of the mismatch between couples' dreams and changing realities. Whether at work or at home, at any stage of adult life, nothing can be taken for granted anymore. This excellent book led me to conclude that we can no longer be complacent about the crisis we are in as family members and employees. -- Rosanna Hertz, Luella LaMer professor of sociology and women?s studies, Wellesley College



Book Information
ISBN 9780742528628
Author Phyllis Moen
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 445g
Dimensions(mm) 242mm * 154mm * 18mm