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

2. 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

3. 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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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