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Parental work patterns in alternative families: influence on child development.
The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
|July 1, 1983
Summary
Mothers of young children are increasingly returning to work across diverse family structures. Maternal employment does not negatively impact children's social, emotional, or cognitive development.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Developmental Psychology
- Labor Economics
Background:
- Documented increase in maternal labor force participation.
- Need to understand impacts on child development across various family types.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the trend of mothers with young children returning to work.
- To assess the effects of maternal employment on child development in different family structures.
Main Methods:
- Utilized matching samples of mothers across diverse family structures (traditional, single-mother, social-contract, communal).
- Analyzed data on children's social, emotional, and cognitive development in relation to maternal employment status.
Main Results:
- Confirmed an increasing trend of mothers with young children returning to work.
- Found no evidence of adverse effects on children's development linked to maternal absence from employment.
Conclusions:
- Maternal employment is not detrimental to children's development across various family settings.
- Supports policies and societal structures that accommodate working mothers and their children.