Religion, family, and women's employment among Muslim and Christian Arab Americans
Religious influences on family and gender roles are at the center of numerous debates about the role of religion in contemporary American life (Bartkowski 2001; Gallagher 2003; Hardacre 1997; Sherkat 2000; Williams 1997). The accepted wisdom is that the tenets of major religious traditions restrict women's achievements in the public sphere by prioritizing their obligations to the home and family (for a review see Lehrer 1995). Recent studies on Judeo-Christian groups are beginning to challenge this view, finding that the relationships between family, religion, and women's economic activity are more complicated than previously believed (Becker and Hofmeister 2001; Gallagher 2003; Lehrer 1995, 1999; Sherkat 2000). © 2010 by Rutgers University Press. All rights reserved.
