Women
Multi-tasked
In
contemporary times, particularly since the late 1970s, the role of women has dramatically
evolved. With emphasis on education, career,
liberation, and personal development more women than ever before are faced with
the challenge of balancing work and family.
Another factor affecting this phenomenon is the fact that “very few
families can afford to have children these days unless both husband and wife
have paying jobs” (Carter, McGoldrick, & Garcia-Preto, 2011, p. 47). In effort to manage a work-life balance,
women may postpone marriage or child-bearing, foster relationships with female
friends, maintain close relationships with siblings, draw from inner strength,
appreciate their family time, take pride in providing for their children, or utilize
job-related social support (Carter, et al., 2011).
Currently,
concerning the expectations and pressures related to work-life balance among
American women, some may consider the load to be overbearing. Conversely, these challenges may be met and
overcome with the appropriate resources, adept planning, and an optimistic
perspective. One must realize, “it is
not the number of activities that is burdensome to a woman’s well-being, but
rather the lack of support and the inability to choose one’s roles and organize
one’s resources to meet the demands” (Carter, McGoldrick, & Garcia-Preto,
2011, p. 47).
One
must also consider the pros and cons for the modern woman in the Twenty-First
Century. Some of the positive aspects
are increased personal satisfaction, greater aspirations for children and child
development, improved quality of time and activity with children inclusive of
paternal involvement, decrease in family conflicts, greater family cohesion,
economic independence, and more self confidence. On the contrary, the working woman may
experience stress in the work environment particularly from sexual harassment, guilt
as a result of noncompliance with traditional roles, self-blame and oppression
from conservatives as they claim women are abandoning their children, or again,
the overwhelming pressure from the inability to advantageously manage career,
marriage, and children (Carter, et al., 2011).
References:
Carter, B., McGoldrick, M., &
Garcia-Preto, N. (2011). The expanded family life cycle
(4th. ed.). Boston: Allyn &
Bacon.
