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MOTHER'S EMPLOYMENT DEMANDS, WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT, AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT
Kyong Hee Chee1, Rand D Conger, Glen H Elder
1Department of Sociology, Texas State University - San Marcos.
International Journal of Sociology of the Family
|October 8, 2010
Summary
Maternal employment demands impact work-family conflict and maternal distress. Supportive husbands and less demanding jobs can buffer negative effects on child development.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Revisiting the impact of maternal employment on child development.
- Focusing on the temporal demands of maternal employment rather than simply employment status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between a mother's temporal employment demands and child development.
- To explore mediating factors such as work-family conflict and maternal distress.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 340 white, lower- to middle-class, dual-earner families in the rural Midwest.
- Data collected via questionnaires and videotaped observations.
- Information gathered from mothers, fathers, adolescent children, and trained observers.
Main Results:
- Significant association found between maternal temporal employment demands and work-family conflict.
- Maternal emotional distress was linked to work-family conflict.
- Husband's egalitarian gender ideology mitigated maternal distress.
- Maternal distress negatively predicted nurturant parenting.
- Nurturant parenting predicted reduced adolescent emotional and behavioral problems.
Conclusions:
- Maternal employment's impact on children is complex and mediated by various factors.
- Temporal employment demands and work-family conflict are key.
- Maternal well-being and parenting quality are crucial for positive child development outcomes.
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