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Role sequencing: does order matter for mental health?
1Department of Sociology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. pjackson@indiana.edu
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
|August 13, 2004
Summary
The study found that the typical sequence of work, marriage, and children benefits mental health, but this varies by race, gender, and birth cohort. African Americans experienced better mental health with a different role sequence.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Demography
Background:
- Role sequencing, the order of social roles, is theorized to impact adult adjustment.
- The normative order hypothesis suggests a specific sequence (work, marriage, children) leads to better adjustment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the normative order hypothesis regarding social role sequencing and mental health.
- To examine race/ethnic, gender, and cohort differences in the relationship between role sequencing and mental health.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of retrospective life history data from the 1987-1988 National Survey of Families and Households.
- Comparison of three subsamples: married working parents, divorced working parents, and married unemployed parents.
Main Results:
- Significant race/ethnic, gender, and cohort variations were found in optimal role sequencing patterns for mental health.
- African Americans reported better mental health when sequencing roles as work, children, then marriage, differing from the normative order.
- White men and women generally benefited from the normative role sequence.
Conclusions:
- The normative order hypothesis is not universally applicable across all demographic groups.
- Life course patterns and their impact on mental health are influenced by intersecting factors of race, gender, and cohort.
- Tailored understanding of role sequencing is necessary for diverse populations.