Book Review: Holding it Together: How Women Became America’s Safety Net by Jessica Calarco

Abstract

How did women become America’s safety net? What confounding systems and ideologies placed women in this role? In Holding It Together: How Women Became America’s Safety Net, Jessica Calarco, a professor of sociology specializing in families, schools, and inequalities, explores how U.S. women are placed in the position of “holding it all together” in the wake of a failed social safety net. She argues that a combination of systemic ideologies and policies placed this burden on women and examines its toll on their well-being, relationships, and communities. Calarco contends that this illusion of a “DIY society” does not reflect the reality of women’s lives. Rather, it masks the insecurities and strains within their families and communities. Society perpetuates the idea that the safety net is still intact by demanding that women fill this role. Many women are forced or pressured to be “the glue that holds it all together” (2024:12). Calarco highlights how the systems in place fail to acknowledge the emotional and physical toll that women experience by filling this role. This book stresses the need for a real safety net and reveals the truth behind the illusion that women should bear these burdens alone.