[8] She is considered as an authority on such subjects as gender equality particularly within relationships and marriages,[9] changing gender roles,[10] family housework patterns,[11] travel patterns,[12] finances and how they affect household formation,[13] and other aspects of changing family life.

She found that young American men ideally want "equal relationships" but that in practice it is often hard to achieve in the real world with "round-the-clock hours and unpredictable on-call availability.

"[8] In her 2009 book The Unfinished Revolution, she argued that young men and women often planned to marry but were taking their time, and that many found it acceptable to stay unwed if they can not meet their self-imposed high standards for themselves or their partners;[10] she wrote that young women increasingly would prefer to stay single rather than marry and become the sole household raiser of children.

"[15] Her studies detailed numerous stresses on modern marriages, with couples striving to find satisfying relationships while divvying chores in egalitarian ways.

[17] She said that Americans were less likely to spend more time on vacation, compared to Europeans, partially because of a culture of "vacation-shaming" and not purely economic concerns.