Suchergebnisse

The use of the concept of strategy as a theoretical tool in the investigation of women's purposive, everyday practices is explored, focusing on strategies related to working & mothering in the context of larger social changes. The sociological conception of strategy is closely related to Pierre Bourdieu's notion of habitus; issues of agency & structure are considered. Other conceptualizations drawn from economics & history are compared & the use of the concept in various national contexts is examined. It is argued that social change is key in explaining the purposive & quasirational dimensions of social practices in women's lives; such strategies become more complex & widely used in the absence of social policies to deal with such changes. Examples are provided from several European countries on employed mothers' strategies to balance their family & work roles, comparing rational, packaging, coping, & indirect/unconscious strategies. K. Hyatt Stewart