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| Research article summary (published 29 Apr 2004): |
Women and multiple roles: myths and reality.
Full Abstract
Strong beliefs persist about the negative effects of maternal employment on women, their marriages, and their children, in spite of considerable systematic research indicating that, on average, employment has positive effects. The underlying assumption is that the roles of wife and mother are "natural" roles and are therefore performed without undue stress. In contrast, the role of employee is seen as "unnatural" and therefore highly demanding. These beliefs affect clinical practice, fostering a concern among mental health professionals about whether women can handle the demands of multiple roles without serious negative health consequences. It is therefore important to evaluate these beliefs in light of the empirical literature. Such an evaluation is especially critical at this particular time, when demographic trends suggest that the number of employed women with children is increasing, that paid employment will be a central component in most women's life experiences, and that as a society we are highly unlikely to return to the days of the "traditional" family. The need for careful scrutiny is underscored by the current political climate, in which there is much rhetoric implying that maternal employment "causes" many of our social ills--school dropouts, drug abuse, juvenile violence, and divorce.
Author information
Author/s: Barnett, Rosalind Chait (RC);
Affiliation: Women's Studies Research Center, Brandeis University, Mail 079, 515 South St., Waltham, MA 02453-2720, USA. rbarnett(-atsign-)brandeis.edu
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Review
Journal: Harvard review of psychiatry (Harv Rev Psychiatry), published in United States. (Language: eng)
Reference: -2004 May-Jun; vol 12 (issue 3) : pp 158-64
Dates: Created 2004/09/16; Completed 2004/10/21; Revised 2004/11/17;
PMID: 15371071, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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