Dr. Tiffany A. Manuel's Webpage

Dissertation Title:

Giving Mercenaries a Chance to be Missionaries: Making the Case for Universal Paid Family Leave in the United States

Professional Biography:

Dr. Manuel joined the faculty of the Political Science Department at UNC Charlotte in 2002. At UNC Charlotte, Dr. Manuel conducts interdisciplinary, multi-method policy research on issues related to the allocation, distribution, and economic stabilization effects of social welfare and labor policies. Her research is both national and local in scope in its attempt to capture the dynamic impact of U.S. public policymaking in a wide variety of institutional contexts.

Although the scope of Dr. Manuel’s research is quite broad (covering several policy areas), two overall questions underline her research efforts:

1.) What broad social welfare policies and institutional policies in the workplace are related to the ability of workers (particularly traditionally marginalized groups) to maintain jobs, remain involved in their communities, and sustain healthy families?

More specifically, Dr. Manuel’s research focuses on how employers, community-based organizations, workers and government agencies can come together to help craft and mutually support policies that successfully promote the well-being of children, families, and their communities. In particular she has conducted research on: (1) the integration of work, family, and community demands by low-wage workers; (2) the dynamics of social support, employment interruptions due to caregiving obligations, and earnings; and (3) the conditions under which informal and formal flexible employment policies develop. Additionally, her dissertation research examined the social, political, and economic efficacy of legislative proposals to provide wage-replaced family leave in the United States.

Prior to coming the UNC Charlotte, Dr. Manuel spent several years at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University conducting research on public policies that affect the ability of workers to manage and balance their work, family and community obligations. In addition to her work at Radcliffe, Dr. Manuel has worked as an economic development consultant advising clients in the areas of program evaluation, comparative regional economic analysis, cost-benefit analysis, industrial cluster analysis, as well as social welfare and labor policy analysis.

Dr. Manuel has several strains of primary research that focus on social welfare and workplace policies that enhance the ability of workers to sustain healthy families. One strain examines public policy design methods and outcomes. Within this strain, there is a deliberate attempt to evaluate and enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and distributional outcomes of policies affecting working caregivers. A second strain of her research examines the racial, gender, and class disparities in access to family leave benefits and other workplace policies supporting short-term job leave for working caregivers. Within this strain, there is some attempt to evaluate the success of efforts to racial integrate public institutions that provide caregiving resources, education, and social services. A third strain utilizes previously collected qualitative data to identify strategies used by workers, their employers and community-based organizations to support caregiving activities. A final strain examines the impact of women’s political leadership on public policies related to working caregivers at both the national and local level.

Dodson, L., Manuel, T., and Bravo, E. 2002. Keeping Jobs and Raising Families in Low-Income America: It Just Doesn’t Work. Cambridge, MA: Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University.

Albelda, R. and Manuel, T. 2000. Filling the Work and Family Gap: Paid Parental Leave in Massachusetts. Boston, MA: Labor Resource Center, University of Massachusetts at Boston.

Manuel, T., Shefte, S. and Swiss, D. 1999. Suiting Themselves: Women’s Leadership Styles in Today’s Workplace. Cambridge, MA: Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

Manuel, T. 1996. Best Practices in Adult Education and Training Systems. Boston, MA: The Center for Community Economic Development, The Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy.

2003 “Why don't 'they' have a better attitude about work? Mothers, Responsibility, and the Low-Wage Workplace as a Site for Racial Integration.” Harvard Civil Rights Project, Color Lines Conference.

2002 “Love Labor’s Lost: Estimating the Opportunity Costs of Unpaid Family Leave?” Eastern Economics Association Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

2001 “Examining the Opportunity Costs Associated with Carework: The Case of Unpaid Family Leave.” Carework, Inequality, and Advocacy Conference at the University of California-Irvine.

2001 “Across the Boundaries of Work, Family, and Community for Low-wage Workers.” Institute for Women’s Policy Research Conference, The Status of Women: Facing Facts, Forging the Future in Washington, D.C.

2001 “Ensuring the Link between Family Leave and Economic Security in the United States.” Presentation to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research Conference, The Status of Women: Facing Facts, Forging the Future in Washington, D.C.

2001 "Turning Over a New Leave: Gender Inequality and Paid Leave Policies." Industrial Relations Research Association Annual Conference in New Orleans.

2000 “(Re)-Constructing a National Commitment to Family Time: The Political Economy of Paid Family and Medical Leave.” Industrial Relations Research Association Annual Conference on “Work and Family” in Washington, D.C.