The Changing Role of Jewish Women: Implications for Family, Social Work Agency and Social Work Practice

Publication Date: September 1981

Publisher: Jewish Communal Service Association of North America

Author(s): Donna C. Pressma

Research Area: Culture and religion; Social conditions

Keywords: Gender; Family; Social Work

Type: Report

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

This article looks at the changing role of the Jewish woman in American society through a comparison between the 1950s and 1980s. The author holds that the Jewish woman of the 1980's, like most American women today, is more self- oriented in making decisions as to what she wants to do with her time and energy; she is less willing to sacrifice for the sake of her children if she feels it would greatly deplete her sense of well-being. The author outlines priorities for todayÂ’s Jewish woman, arguing that in furthering our understanding of the changing roles of Jewish women, we have an opportunity to think through the implications for the entire family. The author also looks at the male domination of the executive leadership of Jewish social work agencies, despite the fact that this profession is marked by a preponderance of women.

In Journal of Jewish Communal Service, 58:1.