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.
In this episode of The Work Behind the Work podcast, we look 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.
Hosted by Melissa Panzer
Produced by Dalton Main, Melissa Panzer, Stephanie Tobey, and Mike Zunic
Written by Melissa Panzer, Stephanie Tobey, and Mike Zunic

Listen to Episode Two here.
The Work Behind the Work podcast series is produced by WorkingNation in partnership with WABE Studios.
This podcast series was made possible through funding from Lumina Foundation.



