What's On Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life

In this seminar, sociologist Allison Daminger from UW-Madison presents her research on cognitive labor, or the work of ensuring family members' needs are met and their obligations are fulfilled. Drawing on nearly 200 interviews with parents in same- and different-gender relationships, Daminger shows how this mental work is distributed in households, how gender imbalances in this labor emerge, and why they persist even among egalitarian couples. She also makes the case that addressing women's "mental load" isn’t just a personal challenge—it’s a collective responsibility requiring concerted effort from all levels of society.

Allison Daminger is an assistant professor of sociology at UW-Madison and the author of What's on Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life. Daminger's research is focused on how and why gender shapes family dynamics, particularly the division of work and power in couples. Her award-winning scholarship has been published in top academic journals and featured in outlets including The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Psychology Today. Daminger holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Policy from Harvard University and lives with her family in Madison, Wisconsin. 

This virtual seminar is part of WAPPP’s weekly fall series Exploring Work and Family, led by WAPPP co-director Hannah Riley Bowles. Attendance is open to all.