Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes & Kathleen Christensen UNMASKING THE TAKEN FOR GRANTED In this paper, we consider some of the taken-for-granted assumptions salient in the work–family literature, including assumptions about: gender and work–family, women’s employment and the well-being of dependants, employers as work–family stakeholders, work–family in society, work–family conflict, work–family and diversity/justice, the contexts of work–family, and time. Keywords work; family; work–family; epistemology; assumptions; gender; women; enmployment; work–family conflict; justice; equity En este arti ´culo, consideramos algunas de las destacadas suposiciones dadas por descontado en la literature sobre el tema trabajo/familia, incluyendo suposiciones sobre: genero y trabajo/familia; el empleo de las mujeres y el bienestar de las personas a su cargo; empleadores como interesados en asuntos de trabajo/familia; trabajo/familia en la sociedad; conflicto entre trabajo y familia; trabajo/familia y diversidad/justicia; y los contextos de trabajo/familia, y tiempo. Palabras clave el trabajo; familia; trabajo–familia; epistemologı ´a; suposi- ciones; genero; mujeres; empleo; conflicto laboral–familiar; justicia; equidad Knowledge-building is a complex and iterative process that results from efforts to thoughtfully observe everyday experiences, gather empirical evidence, refine theory, and make meaning from serendipitous insights. The conceptual frameworks subse- quently built into the resultant knowledge base help to structure research investiga- tions and guide interpretations of social experiences. It is the assumptions that underpin these frameworks which anchor knowledge — often invisibly — and help scholars move from the ‘unknown’ to the ‘known’. The work–family area of study has had a long tradition of examining people’s perceptions of their own experiences and unmasking their taken-for-granted assump- tions about the work and family domains of their lives. In this paper, we urge scholars who seek to gain a deep understanding of this taken-for-granted world to also examine how taken-for-granted constructs may affect their own work because, Community, Work & Family Vol. 7, No. 2, August 2004, pp. 123–142 ISSN 1366-8803 print/ISSN 1469-3615 online  2004 Taylor & Francis Ltd http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals DOI: 10.1080/1366880042000245434