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Opinion Pieces

CCF President Barbara Risman comments on the US presidential elections in Chicago Tribune

Posted on February 22, 2016 in CCF News, Members In The News, Opinion Pieces
Experts: Barbara Risman / Stephanie Coontz

In a Chicago Tribune commentary, CCF President Barbara Risman and Director of Research Stephanie Coontz reflect on what it means to be a woman – and ‘the’ woman – during the 2016 election cycle. Young women may not be the voters that feminists should be courting…  

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Topics of Expertise: Feminism & Families
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Philip Cohen Reponds to International Women’s Day Discourse

Posted on March 15, 2012 in Opinion Pieces


For more than 30 years, people concerned about the global inequality between men and women have been circulating the claim that women receive only one-tenth of world income and own only 1 percent of the world’s property. This claim was repeated on CNN and other outlets for International Women’s Day. There is a great deal of gender inequality in the world, and much of the burden of global economic inequality in particular is borne by the women of the poorest countries. However, these facts are simply not true, and it we would all benefit from a better-informed discussion of gender inequality.

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Topics of Expertise: Gender & Sexuality
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New Way to Tally Poor Recasts View of Poverty

Posted on November 15, 2011 in Opinion Pieces


The Census Bureau on Monday released what it says is a more accurate measure of poverty in America. The new measure shows more poverty among the elderly, but less among children and African-Americans. It also shows a slightly higher poverty rate for the nation last year — 16 percent compared with 15.2 percent under the official measure — but lower rates among groups who benefit from noncash government programs the official count leaves out, including food stamps and the earned-income tax credit.

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Let’s make a rule on sexual harassment

Posted on November 15, 2011 in Opinion Pieces
Experts: Barbara Risman

In my mind — and in the law — there are two kinds of sexual harassment. The first kind is quid pro quo and easy to spot. A really detestable (usually) man gives his (usually) female subordinate employee or student an ultimatum: Put out or lose some opportunity, be it a grade, a job or […]

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Topics of Expertise: Work & Family
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From Steve Jobs to Kids in Foster Care: Lessons During National Adoption Month

Posted on October 28, 2011 in Opinion Pieces


With seemingly ceaseless regularity nowadays, most recently in the coverage of Steve Jobs’ passing, we are inundated by conflicting messages relating to adoption. For the next few weeks, the wonder of adoption will be on display. November is National Adoption Awareness Month, so media outlets nationwide will be — and should be — writing stories about children whose lives are improved as a result of moving from foster care into permanent, loving families. President Obama will even issue a proclamation, as he and his predecessors have done routinely in past years, saying something to the effect that our country is blessed by this extraordinary institution.

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Topics of Expertise: Adoption & Foster Care
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New Jersey’s Historic ‘Civil Union’ Opportunity

Posted on October 1, 2011 in Opinion Pieces


The New Jersey Supreme Court has given the state Legislature a historic opportunity, and I don’t mean the chance to allow same-sex couples to marry. The Legislature has the chance to enact civil unions for all couples – same-sex and different-sex. New Zealand does it. So does the Netherlands, under the name “registered partnership.” Maine and the District of Columbia recognize “domestic partnerships” for both straight and gay couples, although both give domestic partners fewer rights than those accorded married couples. Even New Jersey’s current domestic partnership law allows different-sex couples to register – but only if both partners are over 62, presumably a nod to the impact of remarriage on certain pension and retirement benefits.

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Topics of Expertise: LGBTQ Partnering & Families / Marriage & Divorce
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Why Every Day Should be Father’s AND Mother’s Day

Posted on June 19, 2011 in Opinion Pieces


As we celebrate Father’s Day 2011, the 1950s assumption that men take care of tasks outside the home while women take care of tasks inside the home is clearly out of date. In many metropolitan areas, women in their 20s earn more than their male counterparts. At all ages, the percentage of wives out-earning their husbands is growing rapidly. And as women take on a larger share of breadwinning, men have been taking on a larger share of household tasks.

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Topics of Expertise: Parenthood: Motherhood/Fatherhood
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Recent News & Publications

  • CCF’s Joshua Coleman on the Complicated Realities of Parental Estrangement
  • New from CCF! Do the Media’s “Sexy Girl” Messages Trump Their “Girl Power” Ones?
  • Media Messages to Young Girls: Does “Sexy Girl” Trump “Girl Power”?
  • CCF Board Member Barbara Risman On How To Help Working Parents While Also Equalizing Children’s Educational Access
  • New From CCF! What’s the Role of Child Protective Services? New Study Points to Parallels with Policing

Featured Expert

Elizabeth Gershoff

Professor, University of Texas at Austin

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