Women's Work and Caregiving Roles: A Life Course Approach

Abstract

This study drew on a life course approach and a sample of 293 women from four birth cohorts in upstate New York to examine the relationship over time between women's paid work and their informal caregiving of aging or infirm relatives. We find that such caregiving is an increasingly likely role for women, both as they age and across birth cohorts. One in four (24%) women became caregivers at some time between ages 35-44, and over one in three (36%) of these same women became caregivers between ages 55-64. Only 45 percent of the oldest cohort (born 1905-1917) were ever caregivers, compared to 64 percent of the most cohort (born 1927-1934), an increase of almost 20 percent. Clearly changes in the labor force participation of more recent cohorts of women do not appear to alter their caregiving responsibilities. In fact, women in this sample were equally likely to become caregivers, regardless of whether or not they were employed.

Informal home care and labor-force participation of household members

“…Variables on the carer's or care recipient's income or on their human capital investment are also often incomplete or missing although they are important determinants of labor supply (Johnson and Lo Sasso, 2000). Another problem is the small number of observations in some of the data sets (Pezzin and Schone, 1999;Stone and Short, 1990;Moen et al, 1994 The analysis uses panel data and, therefore, checks for unobserved heterogeneity which is likely to be substantial in caregiving decisions. In addition, the endogenous relation between employment and care is taken into account.…”

Does It Hurt to Care? Caregiving, Work-Family Conflict, and Midlife Well-Being

“…The prevalence of midlife caregiving responsibility for elders is only expected to increase, too, as we become ever more an "aging" and "aged" society (Coward, Horne, & Dwyer, 1992). Demographic trends that have resulted in longer lives, smaller families, higher rates of divorce, lower rates of marriage and remarriage, and higher rates of women's employment than previously mean that we can expect caregiving for frail elders will fall on relatively fewer shoulders in the years ahead, and that the risk of becoming a caregiver at some time or multiple times over the life course is likely to increase (Coward et al, 1992;Marks, 1996;Moen, Robison, & Fields, 1994).…”

“…This theoretical orientation suggests that caregiving be viewed as a life course role that one is likely to enter and exit one or more times during adulthood (Moen, Robison, & Fields, 1994). Following life course perspective principles (Elder, 1992), in order to understand the likely well-being consequences of the caregiving role, it becomes useful to consider the developmental timing of transitions into and out of the caregiver role, the intersection of other roles in relation to the caregiving role, the changing historical context for enactment of the caregiving role, and the cumulative patterns of caregiving across the life courses of varying birth cohorts (Moen, Robison, & Fields, 1994).…”

Actor and Partner Effects Among Marital Dyads in Retirement Adjustment and Well-being

“…In an earlier study by Moen, Robison, and Fields (1994), care giving was found to be positively associated with mastery in female caregivers in their 50's and early 60's. In many cases, caregiving duties are perfonned in conjunction with full or part.. time work (Ruhm, 1996).…”