Occupational and Lifestyle Issues in Young and Middle Adulthood Human Development: A Life- Span View Kail & Cavanaugh Work and Leisure

The Meaning of Work Most people work to make a living but also find meaning in their work Research has found that people have four common ways in which personal fulfillment is derived from work Developing and becoming self Union with others Expressing self Serving others

Holland’s Theory of Occupational Choice Revisited People pursue careers that are a good fit between their abilities and interests Six personality types that combine these factors: investigative, social, realistic, artistic, conventional, and enterprising Holland’s theory does not tell us much about the differences among ethnic groups or the match with personality type and occupational choices in adulthood

Occupational Development How we advance within chosen occupations depends on many factors including Expectations Support from coworkers Priorities Job satisfaction

Super’s Theory People progress along a continuum of vocational maturity through five stages Implementation stage Establishment stage Maintenance stage Deceleration stage Retirement stage Occupational aspirations at age 16 in the U.K. predicted occupational attainments at 33 In the U.S., people change occupations several times during adulthood

Occupational Expectations Research by Levinson has shown that there are several major life tasks for adults Developing a dream is one of these tasks Changing interests and failure can be cause for changing the dream Leaving school and learning about the real world is often a time of reality shock for young adults

The Role of Mentors and Coaches More experienced workers often communicate the most critical kinds of information rather than formal training Mentors help young workers avoid trouble and explain the unwritten rules of the job Mentors often guide young workers and help to ensure that they are noticed and get credit from supervisors

The Role of Mentors (Cont) Kram described four phases of the mentoring relationship: Initiation Cultivation Separation Redefinition

Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction tends to increase with age Probably because with advancing age, workers tend to select and stay with jobs that satisfy them and move on from work that is less satisfying Middle-aged workers tend to be more satisfied with the intrinsic rewards of work than they are with extrinsic rewards As workers continue to grow older, work may not be as much of a focus of their lives People change how they go about their work and jobs, resulting in a cyclical pattern to job satisfaction

Alienation The feeling that what a worker is doing is meaningless, no relationship between what they do and the end product The personality trait of cynicism is the factor most related to alienation To reduce alienation, stay involved in the decision-making, develop flexible work schedules, and provide employee development

Burnout A depletion of a person’s energy and motivation Results from stress, emotional exhaustion, and diminished personal accomplishment Can be avoided by stress-reduction techniques, lowering people’s expectations of themselves, and enhancing communication with the organization

The Dependent Care Dilemma Many mothers have to return to work after the birth of a baby Some women struggle with the issue of returning to work, weighing financial need and the need to care for their children Some women feel the need to return to work as a result of attachment to their work The need to care for a parent or partner along with the lack of availability of affordable help forces many out of the workforce Giving up work means a redefinition of one’s identity

Dependent Care and Effects of Workers Women experience significant negative effects of being responsible for dependent care 65% of women caring for a parent or partner work at least 35 hours When responsible for the care of a parent, women report more missed meetings and more absences from work Higher levels of stress results Stress is decreased by having partners who provide support and having a job that allows for control over one’s work schedule

Institutionalized Assistance for Caregivers Many governments provide government-supported child- care centers for employees Providing child-care support is important, but positive impact is more often seen when supervisors are supportive and when benefits that employees consider important are provided Better job security, autonomy, lower productivity demands, supervisor support, and flexible schedules are helpful

Work-Family Conflict Dual-earner couples have difficulty finding time for each other The amount of time is not necessarily the most important issue as long as they enjoy the time together and it is spent in shared activities

Work-Family Conflict Cross-cultural data suggests that work and parenting-related burnout is more likely to affect women However most women tend to find ways to cope with stress related to careers and family The number of children, not the ages of the children, was found to be a significant factor in their success Highest level of stress was during the peak parenting years when there were often at least two preschool children in the home

Division of Household Labor Women spend up to 50% more hours per week than men in family work Unequal division of labor is the greatest source of arguments and unhappiness in two-earner households While men have increased the amount of time spent on household chores, the greatest amount of the increase is on the weekends

Division of Household Labor The division of household labor is often the result of people’s experience with their parents’ assignment of chores Men are more satisfied with the division of household labor Women are not as concerned about the amount of time men spend on household chores as when there are certain “women’s chores” that men will not perform Even when women enjoy doing tasks that are traditionally considered “women’s work,” they may still experience role strain when a partner does not also engage in these tasks

Support in the Home Women are more satisfied when men take on tasks that are traditionally women’s chores African American and Hispanic men spend more time on household chores than European American men Regardless of cultural background, gender inequality was greatest for women employed full-time