Caught in the Triangle: The Influence of Home, Work and Elder Location on Work-Family Balance

Abstract

RÉSUMÉCet article étudie le contexte géographique dans lequel évoluent les soignants ayant un emploi et s'occupant d'un membre âgé de leur famille. Plus particulièrement, on y examine l'effet de la disposition spatiale du domicile du soignant, de son lieu de travail et du domicile du soigné (d'où «le triangle géographique» auquel le titre fait allusion) sur l'équilibre travail-famille. Une analyse de données tirées d'une recherche nationale sur le travail et la famille effectuée par le Réseau canadien de recherche sur le vieillissement (CARNET) indique que les paramètres du triangle géographique ont un impact certain sur le niveau de stress et d'entrave ressentis ainsi que sur le travail et le comportement d'adaptation. L'effet de déplacements plus longs au travail et de distances accrues depuis le domicile du parent âgé sur les niveaux de stress et d'entrave s'avère relié à la nature des responsabilités familiales. On a relevé des comportements d'adaptation géographique (envisagés ou mis en place dans les six mois de l'etude) chez 18 pour cent de l'échantillonnage de 595 soignants possédant un emploi; ils sont essentiellement centrés sur le point du triangle du parent aîné. Nos résultats nous amènent à prôner une attention spéciale au contexte spatial de l'équilibre famille-travail.

Caring Sons: Exploring Men's Involvement in Filial Care

“…Distance Constraints: The importance of geographic proximity for caregiving has been demonstrated previously in the literature (e.g., Joseph & Hallman, 1996;Matthews & Rosner, 1988;Stoller, Forster, & Duniho, 1992). Corroborating those findings and supporting our hypothesis, we find that men who live closer to their relatives are significantly more involved in care than are men who live farther away.…”

Mid-Life Patterns and the Residential Mobility of Older Men

“…Turning to family and social relations, it is not surprising that OLSA respondents with children were more likely to make a move in later life. One of the main reasons frequently given by older people for moving is to be closer to children, regardless of distance (Joseph & Hallman, 1996;Meyer & Speare, 1985).…”

“…With the development of chronic disability, proximity to kin, especially children, is an important motive for support-seeking moves (De Jong et al, 1995;Joseph & Hallman, 1996;Litwak & Longino, 1987;Meyer & Speare, 1985;Moore & Rosenberg, 1994;Silverstein, 1995;Wiseman, 1980). Proximity to children and kin has also been given as a reason for staying (Clark & Wolf, 1992).…”

Geographic Separation and Patterns of Social Interaction Between Residents of Senior Citizen Apartment Buildings and Their Adult Children

“…However, the findings of both Litwak (1985) and indicate that other types of contact (e.g., tel-ephone conversations) are typically substituted for visits at certain points on a distance continuum based on the elderly person's proximity to children (or other helpers). It i s also noteworthy that, in the context of assistance provided by employed caregivers to elderly relatives, the results of a Canadian study conducted by Joseph and Hallman (1996) disclosed that both distance to the elder's residence and distance to the workplace had a significant impact upon the caregiver's work-family balance of activities.…”

“…Social gerontologists have directed attention toward the roles of adult children as providers of informal care and emotional support for their parents , particularly older widows (O'Bryant 1987) and impaired persons (Tennstedt et al 1994). A number of authors have raised concerns regarding potential negative impacts of various contemporary demographic trends upon intergenerational ties, including higher divorce rates, increased labour-force participation among women, and declining fertility (Treas 1981 ;Gottlieb 1983;Hennon 1983;Brubaker 1985;Wolf 1986;Crimmins and lngegneri 1990;Joseph and Hallman 1996). A major issue of concern i s the possibility that high levels of mobility in contemporary society may considerably increase the physical separation of elderly parents from their adult children (Warnes 1984;DeWit and Frankel 1988;Rogerson et al 1993;Lin and Rogerson 1995).…”