"Staying at Home" versus "Working": A Call for Broader Conceptualizations of Parenthood and Paid Work

Abstract

Using cultural discourse on "stay-at-home" and "working" mothers as a jumping off point, this review essay describes current conceptualizations of parenthood and paid work and critiques the current academic and lay discourses on these topics. The authors highlight the many contradictions between cultural discourse and the reality of parenting and working and call for broader conceptualizations of and more empirical research on what it means to "parent" and "work" in the U.S.

Experiences of occupational therapists returning to work after maternity leave

“…The decision to return-to-work can be fraught with anxiety and guilt for new mothers, creating practical and emotional challenges for them when they embark on this transition (Alstveit, Severinsson & Karlsen 2011;Baxter, 2009;Davey, Murrells & Robinson, 2005). The perceived expectations of others and their own expectations of themselves can weigh heavily on new mothers returning to work, creating worry and guilt (Johnston, Swanson & Luidens, 2008;Johnston & Swanson, 2006;Khalil & Davies, 2000;Pare & Dillaway, 2005). In addition, women who return-to-work in a part-time capacity following childbirth have been criticised for lacking commitment to their work and being less dedicated than their full-time colleagues (Davey et al;Gould & Fontenla, 2006).…”

The Mother’s Perspective: Factors Considered When Choosing to Enter a Stay-at-Home Father and Working Mother Relationship

“…One reason that working mothers were viewed more negatively was that they were seen as more concerned with their personal successes than the successes of their children ( Paré & Dillaway, 2005 ). The negative view was stronger when the choice to enter a nontraditional role was seen as a personal gain rather than a decision out of necessity.…”

Mothering in an Increasingly Uncertain Economic Marketplace: Revisiting the Call for Broader Conceptualizations of Parenthood and Paid Work

“…Motherhood today has an increasingly intensive end point, then; it is not merely giving one's all to one's children, but it involves doing in order to secure successful futures through intensive, extensive, and expanded mothering throughout a child's life (Nelson, 2010). In our 2005 article, we argued that "A redirection of the conceptualization of mothering and work would allow for women to see motherhood not as a competitive sport, but as a practice that needs support across the social and political spectrum" (Paré & Dillaway, 2005). With the increased need to secure economically secure futures for children, I do not see the competitive nature of intensive motherhood or its security function dissipating any time soon.…”

“…In the original essay (Paré & Dillaway, 2005), we held that structural transformations of the economy were an essential force to understand, if we are to comprehend the social shifts within family and paid work activities (see also Baca Zinn & Eitzen, 2005;Dill et al, 1998;Mann et al, 1997;Newman, 1994;Rubin, 1994;Smith, 1993). In the years since we discussed the interconnection of these topics, individuals living in the U.S. have experienced a collapse of the housing market (in 2006) and a subsequent Great Recession (2007Recession ( -2009, with the latter described as the most impactful economic event that families have experienced since the Great Depression (Rose & Winship, 2009;Ellen, & Dastrup, 2012).…”

“…Instead of promoting a divisive ideology and contradictory dichotomies, feminist scholars, journalists, and lay parents and workers need to focus on the connections across mothering, fathering, and working experiences, and the common negotiations adults face as they engage in parenting and paid work (Paré & Dillaway, 2005).…”