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The gendered pandemic: The implications of COVID‐19 for work and family
Author(s) -
Yavorsky Jill E.,
Qian Yue,
Sargent Amanda C.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/soc4.12881
Subject(s) - pandemic , social distance , work (physics) , covid-19 , inequality , sociology , demographic economics , telecommuting , unemployment , distancing , economic growth , workforce , political science , development economics , gender studies , economics , medicine , mechanical engineering , mathematical analysis , mathematics , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , engineering
The COVID‐19 pandemic has affected nearly all the aspects of society since it's onset in early 2020. In addition to infecting and taking the lives of millions of global citizens, the pandemic has fundamentally changed family and work patterns. The pandemic and associated mitigation measures have increased the unemployment rates, amplified health risks for essential workers required to work on‐site, and led to unprecedented rates of telecommuting. Additionally, due to school/daycare closures and social distancing, many parents have lost access to institutional and informal childcare support during the COVID‐19 crisis. Such losses in childcare support have significantly impacted the paid and unpaid labor of parents, particularly of mothers. In this article, we synthesize recent research on pandemic‐related changes to work and family in the United States. Applying an intersectionality lens, we discuss the gendered implications of these changes. Because gender inequality in family and work are connected, COVID‐19 has, in many cases, deepened the pre‐existing gender inequalities in both realms.