Shortchanged: Why Women Have Less Wealth and What Can Be Done About It
"How many of the richest Americans are women? Given that women are just as likely as men to be born into wealth, and given that women now earn 78 cents on the dollar, you might imagine that the wealthy are at long last a gender-integrated crowd. But you'd be wrong. In a masterful scientific whodunit,Shortchangedexplains why the wealth gap remains so extreme, even while women have made substantial gains in the labor market. If you're a fan of smart muckraking, of the passionate expose coupled to the very best science,Shortchangedis for you."--David B. Grusky, Professor of Sociology, Stanford University"A huge gap in the burgeoning literature on wealth and inequality has been the role of gender. Thank heavens for Mariko Chang'sShortchangedwhich fills in this gap and then some. By deftly combining qualitative and quantitative analysis of why and how women suffer from a staggering asset gap, this fine book throws down a gauntlet for gender scholars to reassess their prevailing models of household inequality."--Dalton Conley, Dean for the Social Science and University Professor, New York University, and author ofElsewhere, U.S.A."Shortchangedbrings gender into the wealth conversation. This insightful analysis pushes our thinking about gender equality beyond equal pay and workplace issues to structures and policies creating a profound gender wealth gap. Any understanding of opportunities and inequality in the United States, thanks to Mariko Chang, now must include the relationship between wealth and gender."--Thomas M. Shapiro, Director of Institute on Assets and Social Policy, Brandeis University"Shortchangedis a very readable, enlightening, and provocative study on an extremely important issue--the gender wealth gap. Whereas the vast majority of studies on gender differences focus on labor earnings, income, or jobs, this is one of the first works to broaden the topic to include family wealth. Chang makes clear the gender wealth gap is a more meaningful measure of inequality that far exceeds these other dimensions."--Edward Wolff, Professor of Economics, New York University"Shortchangedprovides a comprehensive account of the gender wealth gap, highlighting its causes and consequences and proposing solutions to improve women's economic well-being. Chang'smain contributions are twofold. First, she presents a thorough documentation of the wealth gap between men and women-a comparison not available anywhere else. Second, she identifies the underlying mechanisms that are responsible for the gender wealth gap... Thanks to current events like the Great Recession and the Occupy movement, Chang's account arrives on the scene at a time of heightened concern about wealth. Given its compelling and timely subject matter, accessible style, and theoretical insights, this book is ideal for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of wealth inequality." --American Journal of Sociology"ButShortchangedalso provides a list of practical policy tweaks that can help women bank more wealth, including mandatory paid maternityandpaternity leave, equal pay and benefits for part-time employees, improving women's access to low-interest loans, and promoting female entrepreneurship out-side the service sector.Shortchangedhas accomplished one significant thing already: We no longer have an excuse to remain uninformed or passive when it comes to our wealth."  --Bitch Media"At this critical juncture in national debates over wealth and inequality in the United States,Shortchangedbrings a focus on women and wealth as a welcome addition to our sociological analysis... This monograph provides an excellent supplement for upper division courses or graduate seminars on sex and gender stratification, and will generate new opportunities for meaningful research into structured inequalities." --Contemporary Sociology