| Abstract: | Work and family decision-making as a factor of life in a small middle class town in semi-rural Michigan is discussed in relation to class reproduction and gendered parenting identities. Interview and ethnographic data reveal why parents choose to live in this community and how their work and family lives are shaped in part by the town's location and character. Topics considered are children's school and extracurricular activities and parents’ career trajectories, commuting distances, local job opportunities, and family participation. Framed by a life course approach, the data provide a holistic on-the-ground picture of the intersection of these diverse elements in the lives of study participants. |
