Modern Parenthood: Roles of Moms and Dads Converge as They Balance Work and Family

A lot has changed for women and men in the 50 years since Betty Friedan wrote "The Feminine Mystique". Women have made major strides in education and employment, and the American workplace has been transformed. But with these changes have come the added pressures of balancing work and family life, for mothers and fathers alike. Trends in time use going back to 1965 clearly show how the increased participation of women in the workforce has affected the amount of time mothers devote to paid work. In 2011, mothers spent, on average, 21 hours per week on paid work, up from eight hours in 1965. Over the same period, the total amount of time mothers spend in non-paid work has gone down somewhat. For their part, fathers now spend more time engaged in housework and child care than they did half a century ago. And the amount of time they devote to paid work has decreased slightly over that period. Fathers have by no means caught up to mothers in terms of time spent caring for children and doing household chores, but there has been some gender convergence in the way they divide their time between work and home.The report is divided into two main sections. Section I, Public Opinion Survey Findings, is based mainly on the new Pew Research survey and includes three chapters. Chapter 1 looks at women's growing presence in the labor market and explores changing attitudes about work. Chapter 2 looks at the challenges mothers and fathers face in attempting to balance work and family life. Chapter 3 explores how these challenges are affecting parents -- both in terms of their overall happiness and in how they evaluate the job they are doing raising their children. Section II of the report, Time Use Findings, primarily draws from time use surveys and includes public opinion questions related to time use when available. Chapter 4 provides an overview of how mothers and fathers spend their time in the workplace and at home and how they feel about their time. Chapter 5 goes into detail about the long-term trend in time use among men and women -- and fathers and mothers -- over the past five decades. Chapter 6 looks at current time use patterns among parents of different family types and living arrangements

Women See Value and Benefits of College; Men Lag on Both Fronts, Survey Finds

Presents survey findings about views on the value of higher education, the necessity of a college degree to men and women, financing and affordability of college, and gender composition of college graduates by gender, race/ethnicity, and education

Home for the Holidays ... and Every Other Day

Based on a survey, analyzes trends in grown children moving back home, seeking a roommate, or putting off marriage or pregnancy as a result of the recession. Compares trends since 1950 in the share of people living alone by age group and gender

The Public Renders a Split Verdict on Changes in Family Structure

Analyzes views on family and increases in unmarried or gay and lesbian couples and single women raising children, unmarried couples living together, mothers of young children working outside the home, interracial marriages; and women not having children

After Decades of Decline, A Rise in Stay-at-Home Mothers

This report examines the demographic characteristics of U.S. mothers who lived with their children younger than 18 in 2012 and did not work outside the home. It compares them with their counterparts in earlier years and reports on trends for this population since 1970, based on U.S. Census Bureau data. In addition, it compares the characteristics of stay-at-home mothers with those of mothers who work for pay outside the home. The report also compares the time use of stay-at-home and working mothers, using data from the American Time Use Survey, and reports on trends in public opinion about working and stay-at-home mothers

Who Moves? Who Stays Put? Where's Home?

Analyzes results of a Pew Social & Demographic Trends survey on Americans' geographic mobility, including perceptions of "home," reasons for moving or staying, and economic considerations, by race/ethnicity, education, region, and other demographics

Marrying Out: One-in-Seven New U.S. Marriages Is Interracial or Interethnic

Examines trends in and attitudes toward marriages between different races/ethnicities since 1980, including rates of intermarriage by race/ethnicity, gender, region, education, and age. Considers factors behind the trends, including immigration patterns