Working it out Flexible work, time pressures and negotiated family practices

Postmodern Lives? Family, gender, and work in ’the new economy ’ Helen Peterson Christine Roman

Background and aims of project  Gender orders versus processes of individualization  Work-life balance and family practices among employees occupying qualified positions in IT-companies

Couple interviews In depth interviews with female and male IT consultants/parents and their partners (n 20) In depth interviews with female and male IT consultants/parents and their partners (n 20) 17 informants worked in the IT-sector 17 informants worked in the IT-sector Couples symmetrical in terms of relative economic resources Couples symmetrical in terms of relative economic resources Children below 5 years old Children below 5 years old Interview focus: Ideals, attitudes and practices concerning work, career, family, household, children and gender Interview focus: Ideals, attitudes and practices concerning work, career, family, household, children and gender

Aspects of ”balancing work and family” Individualized working conditions Individualized working conditions Time pressures and stress Time pressures and stress Time strategies Time strategies Division of work Division of work

Individualized working conditions Deregulation Deregulation Flexibility: time and space Flexibility: time and space Lack of boundaries Lack of boundaries Autonomy Autonomy

Flexibility Synchronizing schedules ”Shift work” Compensation work at home

A double-edged sword Difficulties regulating work load Lack of boundaries between work and private life Work ”invades” family life Work is never done

Time pressures and stress Acceleration of time – an increased pace of everyday life Feelings of stress related to family life and ideals connected to family, children and couple

Sources of time pressure and stress Volume: the amount of time it takes to do necessary tasks Volume: the amount of time it takes to do necessary tasks Coordinating different time schedules Coordinating different time schedules Interrupted flows Interrupted flows Family time Family time Lack of time of one’s own Lack of time of one’s own

Time strategies Working shifts Working shifts Reducing working hours Reducing working hours Buying services Buying services Engaging own parents Engaging own parents Rationalizations Rationalizations

Gender equality ideals Gender equality was considered an important value, understood both in terms of justice and in terms of respect, care and love Gender equality was considered an important value, understood both in terms of justice and in terms of respect, care and love Responsibilities for child care and household tasks were typically shared between partners, as were responsibilities for ”breadwinning” Responsibilities for child care and household tasks were typically shared between partners, as were responsibilities for ”breadwinning” A care ethic was important in negotiating family practices; in particular considerations about what is in the best interest of the child A care ethic was important in negotiating family practices; in particular considerations about what is in the best interest of the child

Negotiated families Gender influenced family practices and experiences but: Gender influenced family practices and experiences but: Family practices were explicitly negotiated and decided about Family practices were explicitly negotiated and decided about Renegotiation and destabilization of traditional gender roles Renegotiation and destabilization of traditional gender roles

Some conclusions Traditional gender arrangements had been renegotiated, but gender had not ceased to influence practices and experiences Sharing responsibilities for child care and housework did not prevent feelings of severe stress and time pressure The ”work-family balance” complex is not only a matter of time, but also of ideals concerning parenthood, family, couple etc Individualized working conditions involve new challenges: the renegotiation of boundaries between work and private life