For over two decades sociologists have debated the social and political consequences of an emergent post-industrial society. This comparative study addresses these debates, using original empirical data from five advanced capitalist economies - Canada, the United States, Sweden, Norway, and Finland. For some, the post-industrial world promises a new kind of capitalism that draws its vitality from an expansion of knowledge and the creative capacities of working men and women. Others have highlighted postindustrialism's darker side and concluded that it is simply the next stage in the degradation of labour. For some, the massive entry of women into paid labour that accompanies postindustrialism will finally liberate women from domestic patriarchy. For others, it is no more than an extension of private patriarchy into the public sphere. The authors show that historical residues and the contemporary impact of major economic and political factors have produced not one, but several post-industrial trajectories. Addressing issues of class and gender, this book deals with problems involved in regulating paid labour, as well as the relationship between paid and domestic labour. It should be of particular interest to specialists in gender issues and scholars in women's, family, and labour studies.