A full life: reflections for integrating life

A full life: reflections for integrating life

We all aspire to live a full, successful and balanced life. However, on many occasions we feel disoriented and confused about what decision to make in an increasingly uncertain and complex environment, we do not know what attitude to take or the certainties we had are blurred. Three books approach this subject from complementary perspectives, connected by a clear common thread: the aspiration to integrate life in all its dimensions. Each work offers a unique vision, forming an itinerary of reflection and practice that guides the reader in his or her search for a successful and fulfilled life.

We Need a New Feminism That Embraces Motherhood as Meaningful Work

We Need a New Feminism That Embraces Motherhood as Meaningful Work

Feminism needs a makeover. In its original form, feminism worked to free women from a life without choices. Gloria Steinem’s feminism gave women the option to have brilliant careers outside the home, to forgo having children, and still lead meaningful lives. Many women needed to be freed from society’s expectations that all women should marry and have children and stay at home in the kitchen. However, the movement painted these issues with a broad brush rather than targeting those women who sought that choice. In its attempt to liberate those unhappy with traditional roles, it shifted judgment onto those who found fulfillment in raising children as meaningful work

The State of Household Gender Inequity

The State of Household Gender Inequity

The distribution of household responsibilities is an important, if overlooked, driver of global gender inequality. Research shows women take on at least two and a half times more unpaid household and care tasks than men, and this is without accounting for the mental load that accompanies these responsibilities. As a result, many women experience increased stress, dissatisfaction in their relationships, and problems balancing work and family life.

Who Should Do Household Chores?

Who Should Do Household Chores?

Looking back on textbooks from the 1950s (seen below) is nauseating but important context to remember as we consider how societal norms could influence the home management decisions many couples make. We must respect that our parents learned this in school, and many modeled it for us because it subconsciously influences how we see our roles inside the home.

Reclaiming Time: Why Women Should Challenge the Productivity Industry

Reclaiming Time: Why Women Should Challenge the Productivity Industry

Ninety-three percent of time management books were written by men. This is a problem, says self-improvement guru, Kendra Adachi.

In her recent book, The PLAN, Adachi advocates for an integrative approach to time management. While most (male) productivity writers view time as something to be controlled or mastered, Adachi views time differently. She recommends the pursuit of integration—of our intellect, emotions, and bodily cues—over measurable results. She worries that women— especially those who are mothers—are striving to implement strategies and achieve goals that aren’t built for them, for their bodies, their minds, or their work within their families.

Fertility, Feminism, and Fathers: Learning from Moms (and Dads) with Many Children

Fertility, Feminism, and Fathers: Learning from Moms (and Dads) with Many Children

In Hannah’s Children, Catherine Ruth Pakaluk has written a ground-breaking book that provides novel, timely, and critical insight into the dramatic fertility decline that is taking place in developed nations. Pakaluk, a Harvard-trained economist who has eight children herself, conducted interviews with fifty-five college educated women living in the United States who had five or more children, seeking to understand why they had chosen to have such large families. Though we hear from the women about their children’s fathers, the story is told through the lens of the mothers.