Day Two Comprehensive Examination Questions
Fall 2013
Committee: Williams (Chair), Glass, Rudrappa
1. The U.S. is an outlier among western industrialized nations in family-friendly policies. Write
an essay comparing work-family policies in the U.S. and other countries, focusing on maternity
leave, child care, and child support. Why does the U.S. lag so far behind these other countries
in offering these forms of social support for working parents?
2. Esping-Anderson's welfare state typology has been reified by many gender scholars seeking
to understand how gender inequality is maintained under contemporary capitalism. Critique
this schema from both an empirical & theoretical standpoint. What is useful for scholars
seeking to understand state intervention in work and family systems? What are its failings as an
explanation of gendered work and family institutions? How could it be modified to incorporate
recent developments in EU social policies and those in post-socialist societies?
3. Occupational sex segregation is an enduring feature not only of the U.S. labor market, but of
industrialized labor markets in general. Why do sociologists consider occupational sex
segregation to be a major social concern? Briefly discuss how occupational sex segregation has
changed (or not) in the U.S. since the 1970s. What are the main “demand-side” and “supplyside” explanations for occupational sex segregation? Which theoretical perspectives seem to
explain enduring patterns of gender segregation best, in your opinion?
4. The gender division of labor within households that assign women responsibilities for
domestic labor and child care is crucial in understanding gender stratification within a variety of
institutions (politics, education, labor market, religion, etc.). How does this gender division of
labor get reproduced, once freed from legal constraints that denied equal opportunity in
education and employment to women? Review the explanations for the continued
reproduction of a sexual division of labor in the home (including biological, interactional,
psychological, and material/structural). Is there evidence this division of labor is breaking down
in contemporary heterosexual households in the U.S. or elsewhere, and if so, does that tell us
anything about the mechanisms of reproduction?
5. Drawing from empirical evidence in the U.S. and Europe, describe the contradictory effects
of social welfare policies on women’s employment patterns. Be sure to be attendant to
differences by class, race and immigration status (where relevant) in your answer.
6. The phrase “motherhood penalty” has had much academic and popular media circulation in
the recent years. In this essay provide a genealogy of the phrase “motherhood penalty,” citing
empirical evidence where relevant. What are the main criticisms of motherhood penalty? Do
you find these criticisms convincing?