Culture of Yazd

Culture of Yazd

Work-Family Challenges Faced by Employed Women with Children Under Six: The Case of Female Staff at Yazd University

Document Type : Original Article

Author
mahsa mirhosseini
Yazd University - Faculty of Social Sciences
10.22034/fyazd.2024.455017.1107
Abstract
This qualitative study aims to explore the lived experiences of employed
women in balancing their occupational and familial roles. Data were
collected through in-depth interviews with 11 employed women with
children under the age of six at Yazd University. The findings indicate that
these working mothers, due to having at least one child under six who
requires more care and support, face both opportunities and challenges. A
common experience in terms of limitations is their constant mental
preoccupation. In this context, their perception of the family environment is
relatively supportive, while they view the workplace environment as
indifferent and adversarial, and perceive low social support from the
community. The women's efforts to reduce conflict are primarily individual,
resulting in an undesirable form of forced adaptation, with subcategories
including constant mental preoccupation, forced adaptation, and hesitation
regarding having more children. Less supportive social structures have led
these working mothers, despite feeling satisfied with their capabilities and
usefulness due to their multiple roles, to benefit less from the advantages of
employment outside the home.
Keywords
Women
mothers
employment
housekeeping
young children

Subjects

 
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Culture of Yazd
Volume 4, Issue 1 - Serial Number 12
Autumn 2023
Pages 153-193