Rebecca Logue-Conroy, Msw, Phd Email & Phone Number

Why men great 'til they gotta be great? I think of this song lyric often as I study why fathers don't take family leave at the same rates as mothers. I hope to use my research to help influence policy changes that allow those who may not have traditionally been leave-takers to see themselves as caregivers in their families. I also hope to research how policies influence the gendered division of caregiving in families. My dissertation examines the factors that influence fathers' use of leave at the birth of a child.In a broad sense, I study the ways in which families build their lives - through caregiving, through work, through the search for balance. I am particularly interested in how low-wage workers and families are able to balance caregiving and work and how policy helps them to do this.My plan for future research is to continue to broaden my examination of the use of leave in families - at child birth, adoption, or fostering, but also at other points of caregiving need such as when a child or other family member is sick or disabled. I plan to examine the gendered use of leave and the choices families make about who takes leave and when and resulting outcomes for family members' mental and physical health.My own experiences in navigating and negotiating caregiving responsibilities and observing those negotiations among my friends, has given me insight into how those with a certain level of privilege are able to make choices about giving care themselves or outsourcing that care. Those without that same level of privilege do not have the same kinds of choices. This is where policy can really make a difference, and I am excited to help inform policy research around care.