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February 2008
Volume 10(2)

Editor: Karen Corday, MSLIS
 
New from the Network Conversations with the Experts Sloan Foundation Corner Announcements Literature Updates Upcoming Issues
 
 

» The Betrayal of Work
  Beth Shulman discusses The Betrayal of Work: How Low-Wage Jobs Fail 30 Million Americans.
   
» A graphic illustrates
  the percentage of working American families that are below 200% of the poverty level.
   
» Julie Atkins and Helen Ward
  of the Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy write about workplace policies for parents of children with special needs.
» Web Site Redesign!
The Sloan Work and Family Research Network is proud to announce the launch of its redesigned web site.  The new web site makes it easier to find information with a new navigation bar on all pages, while retaining all the previously available work and family resources. We now prominently feature current, relevant work and family news items.  We hope to increase the amount of interaction we have with our audience through our updated poll feature and our upcoming blog.  Another added benefit is that the Sloan Network website no longer requires entry via a specific portal. We at the Sloan Network believe this website redesign further elevates our status as the premier work and family resource on the web and we encourage you to explore our site at http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/.
» New Work and Family Teaching Task Force
The current objectives of the Teaching Task Force are to assess and potentially develop new teaching modules, as well as generate new strategies of engaging students in the use of the resources on the Sloan Work and Family Research Network.
2007-2008 TEACHING TASK FORCE 2004-2007 TEACHING TASK FORCE
» Lonnie Golden Ph.D., Penn State Abington
» Susan Lambert Ph.D., University of Chicago
» Chris Morett Ph.D., Fordham University
» Stephen Sweet Ph.D., Ithaca College
» Margaret Usdansky Ph.D., Syracuse University
» Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes Ph.D., Boston College
» Ellen Ernst Kossek Ph.D., Michigan State University
» Carrie Leana Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
» Shelley MacDermid Ph.D., Purdue University
» Patricia Raskin Ph.D., Teachers College at Columbia University
»
Mary Secret Ph.D., University of Kentucky
»
Stephen Sweet Ph.D., Ithaca College
» More News

Beth Shulman
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The Betrayal of Work: How Low-Wage Jobs Fail 30 Million Americans

An Interview with Beth Shulman

by Judi Casey and Karen Corday   |    Download Interview (PDF)   

Casey: What do you mean by “low-wage job?” Can you give some examples?

Shulman: The designation of a wage level for low-wage jobs is a bit arbitrary. The poverty rate is around nine dollars an hour. But we know the poverty rate doesn’t measure what it really takes to make ends meet. In most areas it takes at least double that figure. Certainly, someone who’s making less than $10 to $12 an hour is in a low wage job. An important piece to remember is that it’s not just low wages that define a low wage job; there are so many other deficits to these jobs.

Casey: What do you mean by "low wage jobs"? Can you give some examples?

Shulman: The designation of a wage level for low-wage jobs is a bit arbitrary. The poverty rate is around nine dollars an hour. But we know the poverty rate doesn’t measure what it really takes to make ends meet. In most areas it takes at least double that figure...

Percentage of Working Families That Are Below 200% of Poverty Level, 2005

graph

Source: Working Poor Families Project. (n.d.) Conditions of low-income working families. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from the Working Poor Families Project web site.

Enlarge

Additional Resources Related to Low-Wage Workers

ACORN: Paid Sick Days Campaign:
"ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is the largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families in the United States, working together for social justice and stronger communities..."
    Annie E. Casey Foundation: Family Economic Success:
““Family Economic Success is an approach that helps low-income working families build strong financial futures in strong neighborhoods..."
    Fairness Initiative on Low-Wage Work:"Information for the media on low-wage workers and their families. Includes a podcast, fact sheets, and reports."

Helen Ward
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Work-Family Project

Making the Workplace Work for Employers and Parents of Children with Special Needs

By Julie Atkins and Helen Ward, the Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy

As a result of conducting an extensive research study on the child care and work challenges of parents of children with special needs, a university in Maine is developing an educational tool to be used to reach out to employers, educate them about these challenges and suggest workplace flexibility policies to meet the needs of these employees and their employers. The Catherine E. Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy of the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, has been funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to develop an educational DVD that when completed, will be available as a packet with written materials for use by the full range of employers in Maine and around the country...
 ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL FOR PAPERS AND AWARDS

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CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTS

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LITERATURE UPDATES

The Sloan Work and Family Research Network maintains an online database which contains the citations and annotations of work-family research publications.

One year ago, there were 8,300 citations in the Literature Database. As of February 2008, we now have over 9,300 citations.

Each month, we highlight up to ten publications that have recently been entered into this database.

See this month's selections

 UPCOMING ISSUES

Take Part in The Network News

Upcoming issues of The Network News will focus on the following topics:

  • Domestic Violence and the Workplace
  • Family Responsibility Discrimination
  • Family-Friendly Public Policies

Is your work related to any of these topics? If so, please contact us.

  PROJECT TEAM
arrow Judi Casey, MSW, Director / Principal Investigator
arrow Karen Corday, MSLIS, Information Services Specialist
arrow Jennifer Lawless, Graphic Designer / Communications Specialist
arrow Lauren Leonard, Administrative Assistant
arrow Sandee Shulkin, MSW, Project Manager
arrow Julie Weber, J.D., Policy Specialist
Boston College
E-mail: wfnetwork@bc.edu
Phone:617-552-1708
Fax: 617-552-9202
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