Summary Of Pamela Stone's Opting Out

For decades and decades, women have been diligently working to be become prime candidates in the work force. In history, society defined females as wives and mothers, and tricked them into thinking that the home is the only place they can be useful. Despite the expectations placed on women in the past, modern day women have made their presence known in the professional world. However, many female professionals fall victim to old standards when they enter into the world of motherhood. Pamela Stone’s novel, Opting Out? Why Women Really Quit Careers and Head Home, takes a look at 54 business women who decided to leave the professions to be stay at home moms.

Choice Gap

Many of the women observed in Stone’s study said that their decision to

The women expressed their desire to hold onto their professional identities, and work to apply their professional attributes into motherhood. Although their efforts say otherwise, the mothers in Stone’s study still found themselves having a hard time filling the void their professions once did. This transition was no breeze for many of the mothers; however, they worked to reinvent the role of being a mother. Their main priority was obviously to take care of their children, but staying involved in the community and the schools helped them to escape the title of being a mere housewife. Volunteer work is one of the things that helped the mothers find purpose beyond being just a stay at home mom. Stone says that the volunteer work calls “a sense of social connection and validation.” The loss of professional identity made it hard for many of the mothers to fully accept their new identity as a stay at home mother. All the mothers were fully committed to their new role because of their desire to do what is best for their families; however, many still held on to their past identity. Having to face tough questions like “What do you do?” bring up feelings of insecurity. One of the mothers expressed that the question made her feel as if she was invisible while others hold on by feeling like they have to explain their previous profession. Stone’s section about Transitional Work further illustrates the possibilities these mothers have to still be a part of the work world. Majority of these mothers intend to work in the future, but look to find a more flexible and fulfilling fit. At the end of the day, the mothers learned to understand that their role as a stay at home mom doesn’t take away all the attributes that made them elite