Suchergebnisse

Originally printed in 1997. Women are a considerable portion of the labour force. The majority of them also establish relationships and become mothers. Combining work and family has created considerable problems for women, domestic circumstances and main responsibility for housework and children still affect women, meaning they enter the labour market with one hand tied behind their back. How do women today cope with the dilemmas caused by their dual roles? This book takes a critical look at the concept of dual roles, and makes an assessment of women's locations in the workplace and at home, considering both continuities and change. The book concentrates on a wide variety of issues around work, family and their interrelationships. Unresolved dilemmas from different cross-cultural perspectives are considered, integrating the problems of modern women.

The nature & implications of the balance between work & family responsibilities among medical doctors in Russia were examined in a 1991/92 questionnaire survey of 207 female & 110 male doctors in Moscow. It is argued that the burdens of rapid economic & social change are more problematic for women in Russia who must perform dual roles as professionals & domestic servants. Although physicians were dissatisfied with their low wages & status, the majority depicted their work as purposeful & meaningful, but were unhappy with their overall lives. Women suffered disporportionately from various signs of fatigue & stress, & felt more strongly that their ability to cope with difficult situations had deteriorated, especially the 64% who were responsible for all or most domestic duties. Women's greatest concern was conflict between their professional & domestic obligations. Men were much more likely to succumb to excessive use of alcohol as a means of coping in stressful situations. 2 Tables. T. Sevier

As populations age around the world, increasing efforts are required from both families and governments to secure care and support for older and disabled people.At the same time both women and men are expected to increase and lengthen their participation in paid work, which makes combining caring and working a burning issue for social and employment policy and economic sustainability. International discussion about the reconciliation of work and care has previously focused mostly on childcare. Combining paid work and family care widens the debate, bringing into discussion the experiences of those providing support to their partners, older relatives and disabled or seriously ill children. The book analyses the situations of these working carers in Nordic, liberal and East Asian welfare systems. Highlighting what can be learned from individual experiences, the book analyses the changing welfare and labour market policies which shape the lives of working carers in Finland, Sweden, Australia, England, Japan and Taiwan