INTRO
In this article studies uncover the benefits of being a
mother with multiple roles in careers and motherhood and compare the good and
bad qualities these roles have.
In literature Thoits claimed that the more roles a woman
possessed the less physiological stress she’d have. This is in direct relation
to Crosby’s theory which states that women with multiple roles tend to suffer
less depression than other women. Studies show that high percentage of women
with children work obtaining these multiple roles. Though studies show many
benefits to women with multiple roles researchers have found that women struggle
with interrole conflict meaning they struggle with pressure and stress from
these multiple roles and feel like they fail to succeed in a single role due to
the amount of pressure they take on. In lament terms, they take on more than
they can chew. Studies say the potential for interrole conflict is higher in
women than men because women who enter the workforce still need to presume the cultural
standards placed on them. Greenberg and O’Neil studied the relationship between
married couples with preschoolers. They found that the women were more focused
on the parenting role and because of that they felt more stress and anxiety because
of the role strain. Another research Simon also found this to be true. To
overcome some of the difficulties this study states that having a strong sense
of spirituality truly helps because it can take the strain off of the amount of
stress that is felt from the multiple roles.
POSITIVE BENEFITS
Investigator Barnett and Baruch found that married women
with children that held prestigious careers tended to have a higher well-being
than women with or without jobs that had had no children and women with
children that were not employed. Haddock and Rattenborg found that some benefits
of working and parenting are: better financial stability, better parenting
overall, better parental relationships with their children, and the parents positively
affected their child’s social and intellectual skills. Studies also show that a
positive outcome of women having multiple roles is higher self-esteem. Though it is believed that the positive
outcomes would overshadow the negative outcomes of having multiple roles most
of the negative outcome come from interrole conflicts.
NEGATIVE BENEFITS
Studies have reported that women tend to have many conflicts
from parenting and having a career. Employed mothers feel this because they try
to balance working and motherhood and have to overcome the conflicting goals
that both roles bring on. Many studies have found that women will experience symptoms
of depression, anger, stress and many other negative qualities about themselves
due to the interrole conflicts because it affects their sense of well-being.
SPIRITUALITY
Spirituality plays a big part in women’s lives that have multiple
roles. This sense of a greater purpose never included motherhood until the
protestant reformation. Through these studies researchers found that God was a
source of strength in the working women’s lives. The present of God in these
women’s lives showed that their stress was reduced because they worked in collaboration
with God and had a better sense of self-being. Researchers found that there was
a tendency of Christian mothers to have a calling in the workforce and
motherhood. Studies found that some religious organizations looked down on
mothers with multiple callings and roles so it was beneficial to the mother if
she was part of a church or religious organization that supported their roles.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion may benefits come from women pursuing multiple
calls or roles in their life especially when there is a present of God.
Churches that support these multiple roles in women’s lives can be very beneficial
in helping women understand and accomplish their calling. Though some conflicts
do arise within having multiple roles a strong support system helps lessen
these negative outcomes.
No comments:
Post a Comment