Work–family decisions: exploring the role of racial variation

Abstract

Purpose Drawing on gender role ideology and structuralism perspectives, this study examines the impact of racial variation on the relationship between family characteristics and work–family decisions. Design/methodology/approach The study sample was drawn from the data collected by the U.S. Current Population Survey. This study used robust regression analysis to test their specific hypotheses that explore the role of racial variations on work–family decisions (measured in terms of weekly work hours). Findings The findings indicate that while overall men work longer hours when raising young children, both African American and Hispanic men tend to cut down on their work hours. Additionally, while marital status is associated with decreased work hours for White women, the reduction is smaller for Hispanic women. African American women actually end up increasing their work hours post marriage. Finally, while motherhood is associated with reduced work hours across racial groups, the decrease is more drastic for White women compared to their minority counterparts. Research limitations/implications This study provides empirical evidence that work–family decision in the US African American and Hispanic households are not as strongly guided by the traditional gender role stereotypes, as is the case with White households. It also has important implications for the US employers who strive to leverage diversity and create inclusive organizations. Originality/value Given the increased population diversity in the USA, this study highlights the need to better understand the role of racial variations on the work–family decisions.

Motherhood, Fatherhood, and the Gender Gap in Occupational Authority1

“…Because of institutionalized racial inequality, Black mothers have historically been more likely than White mothers to work for pay and to view employment as complementary to motherhood (Dow 2019). Given institutionalized racial inequality in the labor market and criminal justice system, Black men earn less than White men and household specialization is less pronounced among Black heterosexual couples compared to White heterosexual couples (Guo and Wadhwa 2022; Kamo and Cohen 1998). Thus, one might expect that Black women pay less of an authority penalty for motherhood compared to White women.…”

“If Something Were to Happen”: Communicative Practices of Resilience in the Management of Work-Life Precarity

“…Accordingly, because existing research specifically on precarity in relation to work (leaving aside work-life interrelationships), and research on work-life interrelationships (but not specifically focusing on precarity) points to its classed, gendered, and racialized nature, and because of the relatively small scale, exploratory nature of this inquiry into precarity and work-life interrelationships, we focus in this study on a relatively homogenous sample to allow us to make meaningful claims about a particular demographic group, foregrounding class and gender rather than race – in this case, a group of predominantly White middle class working mothers. Larger scale studies have examined intergroup differences among Black, White, and Hispanic men and women on such work-life related issues as work-family conflict (Ammons, et al, 2017), work-family decision making (Guo & Wadhwa, 2022), and work-family balance (Ray & Jackson, 2013), though not specifically work-life precarity. At the same time, we readily acknowledge the inextricably linked nature of race/ethnicity and class, with persons of color over-represented in low-wage service sector jobs (Robbins & Vogtman, 2016), and under-represented in white collar occupations (Gee, 2018) as a result of persistent structural racism (Gould & Wilson, 2020).…”