In households across America, mothers are often the default managers of everything from medical care to education to emotional wellbeing, all while balancing paid work.

Why does this enormous responsibility so often fall to women? And how is it impacting their careers and our broader economy?

Care work isn’t instinctive. It’s assigned.
This episode looks at how caregiving roles form early and follow women into adulthood and the workplace. We travel to Bangladesh to meet the Shodagor, a river-trading community where caregiving looks very different. What can we learn from them about the mental load, gender roles, and the economic impact of invisible labor?

Featuring sociologist Barbara J. Risman, PhD (University of Illinois Chicago) and biological anthropologist Katie E. Starkweather, PhD (University of Illinois Chicago).

Presented by WorkingNation, the nonprofit media platform focused on the future of work.

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