Sociology 1201 Families and Work  Video: “Juggling Work and Family”  Groups

Sociology 1201 Family as an institution Institutions are interdependent Trends in the economy Deindustrialization, globalization, and wages NOW, Oct. 24, 2004: In 48 of 50 states industries adding jobs paying less than industries losing jobs (30% less in Minnesota) Female work force participation Chart 1. Married women, by age of child Chart 1. Married women, by age of child Chart 2: By age, 1970 and 1990 Chart 2: By age, 1970 and 1990

Sociology 1201 What happens to families? How are they affected by these trends?  Hochschild, The Time Bind  Deutsch, Halving It all  If and when you have children, how many expect you’d be the one to: –Miss an important meeting at work to go to a school conference for your child? –Miss work to care for a sick child? –Cut back your hours if you can’t find good childcare?

Sociology 1201 Hochschild, The Second Shift, 1989 Her female students at UC Berkeley: Wishing for 50/50 marriage Not talking to potential marriage partners about it Very much affected by the divorce revolution: p. 265 During time of her study, men not necessarily doing more of 2 nd shift, but feeling they should. Feminism as a stalled revolution (Nina and Peter)

Sociology 1201 Hochschild: The Time Bind  Research basis: 3 summers of fieldwork at a Fortune 500 company in Wisconsin (1/3 of workers and ¼ of managers women)  Corporation identified by Working Mother magazine as one of ten most “family friendly” companies in America  Interviewed top and middle managers, clerks, factory workers (N=130): qualitative research.

Sociology 1201 Employee survey, mid 1980s  “It is hard for me to manage my work and family/personal responsiblities” 75% of women, 50% of men  “My health suffers as a result of meeting both my work and family responsibilies” 60% of women, 50% of men  By 1990, 84% of its employees with children under 13 had no stay-at-home spouse

Sociology 1201 Package of family-friendly reforms  1. High quality childcare, childcare for sick children, before- and after- school programs, referral for elder care  2. Part-time work, job-sharing, flexible hours, work as home as employee options

Sociology 1201 Paradox  “Amerco’s” workers consistently reported being strained to the limit.  The company offered policies that would allow them to cut back.  Almost no one took the policies; in fact, most people she talked to seemed to be increasing their hours!

Sociology 1201 Possibilities  Men and women need to work long hours to support their families. –Not supported by national studies of which mothers return to work quickly and which take off a year or more (28)  Fear of being laid off –Little fear expressed by Amerco employees –Hours of work just as long in divisions not downsized as in divisions that had been downsized

Sociology 1201 Possibilities II  Perhaps employees know that the official line about work friendly policies is just for show –Amerco employees generally believe their CEO is sincere –Some middle managers seemed more dubious but supportive managers had only a few more part-timers, job- sharers, and flex-time workers

Sociology 1201 Family values and reversed worlds  Linda: “I usually come to work early just to get away from the house…. So I take a lot of overtime. The more I get out of the house, the better I am. It’s a terrible thing to say, but that’s the way I feel.  Home as the place where you emphasize efficiency; work as the place you like to hang out. A pattern that is predominant in about 1/5 of Amerco families and an important theme in over half.

Sociology 1201 Top Managers  Bill: “The people at the top are very smart, they work like crazy, and don’t flame out.”  Hochschild: “The twelve top managers I interviewed all worked between 50 and 70 hours a week.”  About their parenting: “If you had it to do over again, would you do anything differently?” “I don’t know. I can’t answer that. Probably not.”

Sociology 1201 How would you define commitment?  “I don’t’ think we can get commitment with less than fifty or sixty hours a week. That’s what other corporations are doing.”  “Just because a few women are concerned with balance doesn t’ mean we change the rules. If they chose this career, they’re going to have to pay for it in hours.”

Sociology 1201  “I don’t know how they do it.”