Hardly any broad analyses exist to link the vast contemporary change in life patterns both to changes in women's lives (rising employment, declining fertility, and changing use of time) and to changes in men's lives, the gender contract, and the economy, as well as to national social policies. This book shows not only similar trends across countries but also the likely direction of future change, particularly as related to economic growth, gender equity, and the well-being of families and children. The first chapter, an overview by the editors, provides a comprehensive conceptual framework...