Work and the Family

Work in a Changing Society Preindustrial Model Cooperative work within the household Industrial Revolution Economic production moves out of the home into the city becoming separate from family living * invention of labor (public vs. private sphere) * invention of “un/employed” Postindustrial transmit information and offer services (over 80% of today’s Jobs)

Men in the “Good Provider Role” Based on new economic model (1830’s), men are judged by the living standard they provided their family What are some of the rewards? What are some of the costs? (Christiansen & Palkovitz) Change the meaning of “Provider” to have similar meaning to “hands-on” parenting

Women and Work A Modern Role: the housewife * circa 1850 to 1940 Today women in labor force: 60% Married women 72% Single-parent women (25% married women w/ children are homemakers)

Homemaking as an Economic Benefit (Crittenden) Women’s labor described as “skilled mid-level management job” Housewife's economic worth = $60,000 What are some of the services housewives offer?

The Wage Gap Occupational Segregation the tendency for women and men to be employed in different types of jobs * 75% teachers; 92% nurses; 31% M.D.s The wage gap varies considerably based on occupation, e.g., gap grows in elite, higher paying occupation * physicians F: $88,000; M: $144,000

The Wage Gap Motherhood Penalty motherhood has a tremendous negative lifetime impact on earnings * Childless women earn 90% of what men do Work habits: fewer years of experience, work fewer hours per year, left labor force for longer amounts of time, less likely to work full-time

House Work Unpaid Family Work: Involve the necessary tasks of attending to both the emotional needs of the family members and the practical needs of dependant members Second Shift: The domestic work employed women must perform after coming home from a day on the job

WHO DOES THE WORK AROUND THE HOUSE?

WHO DOES THE WORK AROUND THE HOUSE?

Why Women Do The Housework Availability Perspective * The partner with more time does the housework Rational Investment Perspective * partners agree to spend more time doing what they are more efficient at NOTE: these are gender neutral theories

Why Women Do The Housework 3. Resource Hypothesis (also gender neutral) * the partner with more resources will have the power and hence spend less time on housework Ideological Perspective * points to the gendered cultural expectations on household labor Note: higher EDU for men leads to more household work because they believe less in gender stereotypes

Why Women Do The Housework Gender Construction Perspective “doing gender” * Looks at the meaning of housework and how it’s used to reinforce gender identity 6. Feminist Perspective 1. Women have less power, as a result, women will end up doing the majority of unpaid labor 2. Paid care givers will come from more disadvantaged sectors of society

The need for Institutional Support: Social Policies U.S.: only industrialized nation that does not have mandated maternity/parental leave * Family Leave * Flexible Scheduling How does this effect a “pronatalist culture”?

Maintaining Intimacy While Negotiating Role Meaning Acceptance of Conflict as a Reality * Marital partners will have competing interests Accept Ambivalence * maintain intimacy during adjustment 3. Empathize * make sure both partners “win”

Maintaining Intimacy While Negotiating Role Meaning 4. Strike an Equitable Balance * does not mean 50-50 split… …rather FAIR BALANCE 5. Show Mutual Appreciation * creating new ways to show their appreciation