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Double Jeopardy
Motherwork and the Law
Many women today have broader life choices than previous generations of women. Yet, despite the
advances made, women who become mothers still find that their social and economic realities are
severely constrained. If women have children, they are faced with the question of how to provide for
their children's care while also satisfying their own interests and maintaining their economic security.
In _Double Jeopardy_, Lorna Turnbull takes a close and critical look at the positions of mothers in
contemporary Canadian society. Many mothers in paid employment face the challenge of the double
shift, the constraints on career imposed by family responsibilities, a reduction in earnings and the
restricted availability of childcare. Mothers who care for their children full-time face isolation, the
devaluation of their motherwork and a loss of income if they have withdrawn from paid employment.
The law plays a major role in defining the situation in which women mother and at the same time
overlooks the different experiences of single mothers, lesbian mothers, divorced and married mothers.
Drawing on current legal cases, Turnbull demonstrates how income tax law, including the childcare
deduction and child tax credit, as well as pension and family law, affect mothers' choices and economic
security. Turnbull believes that the law can and should serve mothers better. By changing taxation
policies and other laws, it is possible, she argues in _Double Jeopardy_, to bring about progressive
measures that will benefit mothers both in the home and the workplace.
Author Information
Lorna Turnbull
Lorna A. Turnbull is Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba. She has
taught in Women's Studies at York University and in Law at Osgoode Hall Law School and Columbia
University School of Law. She has been a guest speaker at symposiums and conferences and has
published in legal and feminist journals on the issue of motherwork and the law.
Reviews
"A remarkable facility to make complex analyses clear."
Resources for Feminist Research
"Cutting edge ... a work which should be found on every bookshelf."
Subjects
Motherhood and Parenting
Work and Labour
Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies
Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies
Canadian Women's Studies
"This book is a highly original contribution to the discussion of how law is implicated in the imposition of
social and economic constraints on mothers and the work they do. Particularly exciting is the
consideration of strategies for change — a must read for anyone interested in how best to bring about
reforms aimed at promoting women's equality."— _Claire Young, Professor of Law, University of British
Columbia_
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Equality for Mothers: Starting with the Everyday
232 pages
Chapter Two: Regulating Mothers: The Law and Feminism
6.75 x 9.75 inches
Chapter Three: Seeing Mothers: Invisibility and Poverty
November 2001
Chapter Four: Becoming Mothers: Pregnancy and the Law
ISBN: 9781894549110
Chapter Five: Being Mothers: The Legal Characterization of Motherwork
Chapter Six: Taxing Mothers: Income-Tax Rules and Motherwork
Available at:
Chapter Seven: Supporting Mothers: Strategies for Change
Chapter Eight: Justice for Mothers: Reforming Law
To request a review copy:
[email protected]
416-929-2774
Notes
Table of Cases
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
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