Mothers working full- and part-time: Their organizational centrality-peripherality, marital role power, and work self-esteem.
Item
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Title
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Mothers working full- and part-time: Their organizational centrality-peripherality, marital role power, and work self-esteem.
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Identifier
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AAI9029912
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identifier
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9029912
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Creator
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Barker, Kathleen Marie.
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Contributor
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Chairman: Florence L. Demark
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Date
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1990
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Social | Psychology, Industrial | Sociology, Industrial and Labor Relations | Economics, Labor | Sociology, Individual and Family Studies
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Abstract
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Little is known about the attitudes and experiences of part-time workers who generally have been considered members of the "contingent," "peripheral," or "disposable" workforce. A survey was conducted of 237 mothers in the United States working part or full-time in professions typically male-dominated (law, executives), professions which are female-dominated (nursing), and traditional feminine jobs (clerical). A 29 item Centrality-Peripherality scale was administered to measure worker's perceptions regarding their centrality to organizational activities, interpersonal relations, and skill advantages. In addition, women's work self-esteem and marital role power were investigated.;Part-time workers typically perceive themselves as less central than full-time colleagues and this finding was greater for those with lower occupational attainment. Women in traditional feminine occupations reported the least centrality. Differential treatment was reported in terms of organizational activities and skill advantages. Differential treatment of workers, based on work status, may account for prior research findings regarding the high turnover and low commitment of part-time workers.;Regardless of employment status or profession, women reported similar marital role power. Women working part-time reported greater happiness at home, higher marriage satisfaction and satisfaction with children. Women working part-time reported a greater number of social roles but lower role conflict. Women working full-time in the masculine professions reported the greatest amount of conflict and women working part-time in feminine professions reported the least. These findings are unlike those reported by Hall and Gordon (1973) which found that part-time women reported greater role conflict and lower satisfaction than full-time women. In addition, the majority of women (78%) said they were happiest at home.;Women working part-time reported higher work self-esteem, except for women working part-time in masculine occupations. Women working full-time in traditional feminine occupations reported the lowest work self-esteem and women working in feminine professions reported the highest self-esteem. Work self-esteem was significantly correlated with income for full-time women, but not for part-time women. The salience of roles, paid work vs. parent, is conjectured to influence work self-esteem. Part-time women were far more likely than full-time women to report their primary role as parent.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
