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Work—Family Interface for Same-Sex, Dual-Earner Couples: Implications for Counselors
Abstract
The author highlights information for career counselors to consider when addressing work-family interface with individuals who are members of same-sex, dual-earner couples or families. D. E. Super's (1990) life-span, life-space theory is the framework used to organize the literature review and discussion of current trends. Issues related to the roles of worker, partner, parent, stepparent, and caregiver are discussed. Suggestions are provided for career counselors.
... In particular, both career and romantic partnership (i.e., spouse, husband, boyfriend) life roles are integral aspects in the daily lives of adults living in westernized societies (Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2013;Perrone, 2005). Both of these roles are very important during one's adult life span, but in many instances, one life role may be regarded as more important than another (Super et al., 1996). ...
... In addition to the economic and political factors that shape various life roles across the developmental life span (Blustein, 2006;Perrone, 2005), psychosocial factors associated with having a marginalized identity could also theoretically shape life roles. Sexual minority men navigate their work and romantic lives in the context of homophobia, heterosexism, prejudice, and social rejection (Foster & Campbell, 2005;Lidderdale, Croteau, Anderson, Tovar-Murray, & Davis, 2007;Raggins, Singh, & Cornwell, 2007;Velez, Moradi, & Brewster, 2013). ...
... For instance, a gay man may intentionally place less salience in their romantic partnership life role, by intentionally not engaging in romantic relationships with other men for fear of being ostracized by friends and family. A gay man could also lie about his same-sex romantic relationship status for fear of discrimination, devaluing the significance and value of his romantic relationship (Mohr & Daly, 2008;Perrone, 2005). Living with CID conditions could also add unique contexts to romantic partnership life roles for sexual minority men. ...
Ratings of career and romantic partnership life role salience were explored between sexual minority men in same-sex, dual-earner relationships living with and without chronic illness/disability (CID) conditions. Approximately 141 sexual minority men living in the United States completed questionnaires via the Internet. Results indicated that sexual minority men living with a CID scored higher on romantic partnership life role salience, but lower on career life role salience when compared with sexual minority men not living with a CID. Limitations and implications for practice and research are discussed.
... This requires the integration of career and couples counseling modalities, which further strengthens the validity of Super's approach to career and life-span development. Perrone (2005) highlighted the importance of communication and decision making strategies in same sex couples and helping couples communicate how they will navigate their sexual orientation identities through a variety of personal and work-related environments. This may have further implications for lesbian, gay, and bisexual couples who have children, and also need to communicate with other members of their families as to how to navigate minority stress and discrimination. ...
... Other factors that may contribute to both career and relationship satisfaction among lesbian and gay couples are having role models, community, and family support (Perrone, 2005). Belonging to the LGB community may further help individuals increase their level of satisfaction in work and in their relationship, especially since belonging to an LGB community is associated with the adoption of more positive attitudes regarding a sexual minority identity (Haldeman, 2007;Firestein, 2007). ...
... 237). The relationship between the worker and partner roles (also considered part of the work-family interface) has been examined in the vocational psychology literature, but has primarily focused on heterosexual persons (Betz, 2005;Gysbers, Heppner, & Johnston, 2003;Perrone 2005). ...
... Boundary theory (Zerubavel, 1991Zerubavel, , 1996 Voydanoff , 2005) and work/family border theory (Clark, 2000 ) provide valuable conceptualizations worthy of consideration by feminist multicultural counseling psychologists. Finally, more recent theories have called for expanded defi nitions of work, more inclusive conceptualizations of family (Badgett, 2008; Fassinger, 2000; Schultheiss, 2006), and implications of intersecting identities (e.g., Ammons & Kelly, 2008; Beauregard et al., 2009; Perrone, 2005). Such focus falls well within a feminist multicultural paradigm. ...
... As described above, such families are typically not covered under FMLA, and most states do not have a mandate to provide pensions , health care, or health-related leave to same-sex partners. Th erefore, compared to other-sex couples, same-sex couples typically experience an increased fi nancial burden as a result of job loss because partners are less likely to be covered by insurance (Perrone, 2005). Same-sex couples are more likely to be dual earners than other-sex couples (Beauregard et al., 2009 ), which increases the risk of work-family confl ict despite the potential fi nancial benefi ts. ...
... Same-sex couples are more likely to be dual earners than other-sex couples (Beauregard et al., 2009 ), which increases the risk of work-family confl ict despite the potential fi nancial benefi ts. Lesbian women are also more likely to have children than gay male couples (Perrone, 2005), resulting in greater amounts of work-family confl ict. Facing potential workplace discrimination, many same-sex couples choose not to disclose their sexual orientation to coworkers. ...
This chapter examines research and theoretical perspectives about the work-life interface and sexual
harassment in the workplace. Multiple roles and unwanted social and sexual experiences at work are
considered from feminist multicultural and organizational perspectives. The chapter focuses on adaptive
and contextual factors when considering how women experience and navigate the work-life interface,
and how they respond to sexual harassment. In the context of the review, a new meta-analysis of the
relationship between sexual harassment and racial/ethnic harassment and a new quantitative review
of sexual harassment measurement are presented. The chapter discusses organizational remedies
for sexual harassment in the workplace and strategies for addressing work-family conflict and sexual
harassment at the individual level, and presents recommendations for future research.
... Scholars have also proposed ways in which career counselors may speci cally aid LGBTQ employees. Perrone (2005), for example, noted that the extra challenges experienced by samesex, dual-earner couples likely requires counselors who are able to help such couples prepare for potential economic dif culties (e.g., due to potential nonexistent insurance coverage for same-sex couples), identify work environments where discrimination is less likely to occur, and engage in frank discussions about types of employment discrimination and relevant laws and employment policies that may impact them and their unique situations. Perrone also noted the need to consider challenges related to social connectedness or stressors related to custodial rights with regard to LGBTQ parents and stepparents, as such stressors can greatly impact the employed parent/stepparent's work-family interface. ...
In this chapter, we explore the workplace experiences of LGBTQ parents. We begin by presenting workplace policies that have the potential to uniquely impact LGBTQ parents, focusing on family/parental leave and family medical coverage. Following our presentation on workplace policies, we provide an overview of contemporary theoretical perspectives that have been used to help understand workplace experiences of LGBTQ parents as well as critical theories that pose the greatest possibility for advancement in this area as they incorporate a more nuanced understanding of LGBTQ working parents. These theoretical perspectives include role theory, gender role theory, stigma theory, and minority stress theory, as well as transformative perspectives, feminist theory, and queer theory as they relate to LGBTQ working parents. We then summarize the literature that has incorporated the various theoretical approaches to empirically explore the workplace experiences of LGBTQ parents. Finally, based on the theoretical frameworks and empirical literature that we present, we provide implications for practice and recommendations for future research. We begin with some strategies to affect change, and in the spirit of embracing a larger systems perspective, we provide suggestions at the individual, organizational, and national level.
... Less is known about how experiences of minority stress processes in the workplace can affect LGBQ individuals outside of this context at home, specifically within their romantic relationships. Scholars have demonstrated a link between work and family for many employees (Mercier, 2008;Perrone, 2005;Tuten & August, 2006). Nevertheless, only a few studies have examined the cross-contextual, couple-level effects of workplace environments for LGBQ Journal of Family Theory & Review 10 (March 2018): 165-180 employees in same-sex partnerships (e.g., Rostosky, Riggle, Gray, & Hatton, 2007). ...
Minority stress theory posits that stress processes specific to a sexual minority orientation can affect the psychological health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer-identified (LGBQ) individuals. In the workplace, LGBQ employees experiencing minority stress report poor mental health outcomes and decreased job satisfaction and commitment. However, few scholars have examined the cross-contextual effects minority stressors that individuals experience in the workplace may have on couples. That is, given the literature highlighting the work-family interface, how do minority stressors at work affect the sexual minority employee within the family dynamics of same-sex couples at home? The purpose of this article is to propose a multi-theoretical approach which includes elements of minority stress theory and work–family border theory to guide future research in examining the cross-contextual effects of minority stress for couple- and family-level outcomes.
... They emphasized the complexity of the interplay between individuals and their environments. Follow-up studies have used this ecological perspecdve with diverse underserved populations (Barrio & Shoffner, 2005; Perrone, 2005). Like the developmental-contextual approach, the Ecological approach validates the impact of contextual factors on career. ...
The purpose of this article is twofold; (a) to explore the career development needs and issues that are unique to Black sub-Saharan African immigrants, with an emphasis on college students, and (b) to discuss how career development professionals can implement strategies to better serve these students. The number of Black immigrants from sub-Saharan African countries has increased recently. Many immigrants are confronted with complex life decisions. Career counselors are in a unique position to assist. Theoretical approaches, with a focus on contextual factors, are discussed. Six strategies for career counseling practice, suggestions for their application, and implications for practice are highlighted. Muliiatem, a Black African woman, is a lon^ way frotn her home in Ethiopia. She immigrated into the United States approximately 5 years ago to pursue a col-lege degree. Her husband and two daughters, ages 9 and 10 years, remain in a refugee camp in Kenya. Mulualem is eager to earn a 4-year degree, hut she is undecided about her plans. She tettsyou, "I don't know whether I will make it right now. But I hope to bring my daughters here and to give them a better education, if it works for me and my husband." —Student Case 1 When asked about his plans after graduation, Andile, an East African immigrant student responds, "I do not know yet. There is an African proverb that states 'Tou have to cross the first river successfulty before you ask the second river if it's okay to cross it.'" —Student Case 2
... There is undoubtedly much knowledge lost when surveys completed by workers with non-traditional family responsibilities are discounted, and their results not analyzed or published, considering that these groups which are excluded are no longer small minorities in contemporary labor markets. What little research there is that focuses on these excluded groups suggests that their experiences may be different or take place under different circumstances from those of the mainstream samples (Day and Schoenrade 1997;Perrone 2005;Saltzstein et al. 2001). For example, in one of the few studies which looked at possible sexual orientation differences, Day and Schoenrade's (1997) investigation of work-family conflict found no differences between heterosexual employees and lesbian and gay employees who were 'out' in the workplace, but that non-disclosed lesbian and gay workers experienced significantly higher levels of work-family conflict than either of the two other groups. ...
Work-life issues have important implications at both organizational and individual levels. This paper provides a critical review of the worklife literature from 1990 onwards through the lens of diversity, with a particular focus on disparities of power induced by methodological and conceptual framings of work and life. The review seeks to answer the following questions: What are the gaps and omissions in the worklife research? How may they be overcome? To answer these questions, the review scrutinizes blind spots in the treatment of life, diversity and power in worklife research in both positivist and critical scholarship. In order to transcend the blind spots in positivist and critical worklife research, the review argues the case for an intersectional approach which captures the changing realities of family and workforce through the lens of diversity and intersectionality. The theoretical contribution is threefold: first, the review demonstrates that contemporary framing of life in the worklife literature should be expanded to cover aspects of life beyond domestic life. Second, the review explains why and how other strands of diversity than gender also manifest as salient causes of difference in experiences of the worklife interface. Third, the review reveals that social and historical context has more explanatory power in worklife dynamics than the micro-individual level of explanations. Worklife literature should capture the dynamism in these contexts. The paper also provides a set of useful recommendations to capture and operationalize methodological and theoretical changes required in the worklife literature.
... Where sample characteristics were reported, samples were homogenous and excluded several important groups including diverse racial and ethnic groups, distinct cultures and non-traditional families (Casper et al. 2007). Other authors have also argued that much of the work-life balance literature continues to be derived from data collected from dual-earner families while neglecting other groups such as single parents, same-sex couples and extended families (Parker and Hall 1992; McManus, Korabik, Rosin and Kelloway 2002; Noor 2002b; Perrone 2005). Employees in small workplaces, at the expense of large ones (MacDermid, Williams, Marks and Heilbrun 1994), have also been relatively under-sampled. ...
This study reviewed methodological choices (sampling frames, constructs investigated and measures used) in 245 empirical work-life balance papers published in a range of discipline-based peer-reviewed journals between 1987 and 2006. Results show that work-life balance studies need to establish greater consistency between the conceptualization of constructs and the operationalization of measures. There is also scope for well-designed field experiments to establish clear causal relationships between variables. Sampling choice in previous literature is somewhat constrained and may be enhanced by targeting single and same-sex parent families, manual and lower-skilled service workers, and employees providing eldercare. Researchers should also be more transparent in providing rationales for their choices of organizations or group lists used to target respondents. The findings have significant implications for understanding, interpreting, and utilizing the contemporary work and family literature.
The present study examined the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Work–Family Conflict Scale (WFCS) in a sample of 295 sexual minority employees. Factor analyses supported a two-factor oblique model, with work–family conflict manifesting as worker role interfering with the family role (WIF) and family role interfering with the worker role (FIW). We also examined the relations of the latent WIF and FIW factors with conceptually related constructs. Both WIF and FIW were significantly negatively correlated with partner support; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender–supportive climates; job satisfaction; and life satisfaction and were significantly positively correlated with turnover intentions, anxiety, and depression. Moreover, WIF (but not FIW) was significantly negatively associated with family support and family satisfaction, whereas FIW (but not WIF) was significantly negatively associated with outness at work. The findings of the present study suggest that the WFCS—and, possibly, the construct of work–family conflict more generally—holds promise for future vocational research focused on the interface of work and family in the lives of sexual minority employees. Implications of these findings for clinical work and research with sexual minority employees are discussed.
This study used a path analysis to test an exploratory model that analyzed associations among expectations of stigma, internalized homophobia, dyadic adjustment, and career development satisfaction. As part of the study, an online questionnaire was given to 170 men in same-sex, dual-earner relationships. Internalized homophobia and the expectation of stigma predicted ratings of dyadic adjustment, whereas only the expectation of stigma predicted ratings of career development satisfaction. Counseling implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
Sexual minority persons (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer) are likely to encounter minority stress, such as discrimination, concealment, expectation of rejection, and internalized heterosexism. Minority stress occurs alongside one’s lifespan and has considerable implications in the context of the career lifespan trajectory. Using the approach of developmental contextualism as a framework to embed minority stress, this article reviews the existing literature regarding facets of minority stress across the career lifespan trajectory and provides a conceptualization on how to incorporate minority stress into affirmative career appraisal, intervention, and research practices.
This article reviews professional literature published in 2005 related to career counseling and career development. The literature is divided into 4 broad areas: professional issues, career theory and concepts, career interventions and practice, and career assessment and technology. The authors summarize and discuss the implications of the findings for career counseling practice and research.
Chronic illness impacts all members of the family particularly when the person with the illness requires caregiving assistance. Although caregiver research has focused previously on older adults, the emphasis of this literature review is on younger and middle-aged individuals in caregiver marriages. For this population, the number of roles that need to be balanced within the relationship (e.g., career person, parent, spouse) may exacerbate caregiver burden. The caregiver role makes additional demands on time and energy, which can lead to role strain. This article examines role construction for younger spouses who become caregivers, the impact on marital relationships, and counselor strategies for assisting families coping with chronic illness.
The association between parent role quality and psychological distress is examined in a sample of 180 full-time employed dual-earner couples, controlling for such individual-level variables as age, education, occupational prestige, and marital quality and for such couple level variables as length of marriage, household income, and number, ages, and sex of children. The magnitude of this effect is compared for men and for women. Results indicate that parent role quality is significantly negatively associated with psychological distress for men as well as for women and that the magnitude of the effect depends tittle, if at all, on gender, casting doubt on the widely held view that parenting experiences more significantly influence women's mental health states than men's. The results are discussed in the context of the converging roles played by men and women in dual-earner couples.
Assessed lesbian couples' division of labor, their satisfaction with division of labor and with their relationships, and their children's psychosocial adjustment. The 26 participating families were headed by lesbian couples, each of whom had at least 1 child between 4 and 9 yrs of age. Parents' relationship satisfaction was generally high but was unrelated to measures of parental division of labor or of children's adjustment. Although both parents reported sharing household tasks and decision making equally, biological mothers reported greater involvement in child care, and nonbiological mothers reported spending longer hours in paid employment. Parents were more satisfied and children were more well-adjusted when labor involved in child care was more evenly distributed between the parents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Five studies on the development of the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Affirmative Counseling Self-Efficacy Inventory (LGB-CSI) were conducted. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of an initial pool of 64 items yielded 5 factors that assess counselor self-efficacy to perform lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) affirmative counseling behaviors (Application of Knowledge, Advocacy Skills, Self-Awareness, Relationship, and Assessment Skills). The LGB-CSI evidenced high internal consistency; however, low test-retest reliability was found over a 2-week period. Convergent validity was supported by correlations with measures of general counseling self-efficacy and attitudes toward LGB individuals. Discriminant validity was evidenced by an absence of relations between the LGB-CSI and measures of social desirability, self-deceptive positivity, and impression management. Construct validity was supported by findings indicating varying levels of self-efficacy commensurate with status in the field. Recommendations for training interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This study examined the relationships between workplace heterosexism, unsupportive social interactions (negative responses from others concerning one's experience of heterosexism), and adjustment among 97 employed lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. Results revealed that heterosexism and unsupportive social interactions were each related to negative psychological health outcomes. After controlling for outness and involvement in the LGB community, responses characterized by blaming were found to moderate the relationship between heterosexism and both depression and distress. Contrary to predictions, results suggested that at low levels of blaming there was a positive relationship between heterosexism and both depression and distress. It may be possible that at low levels of blaming, the salient stressor was heterosexism, whereas at high levels of blaming, the salient stressor was the blaming itself. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
A model linking attachment variables with self-acceptance and self-disclosure of sexual orientation was tested using data from 489 lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults. The model included the following 4 domains of variables: (a) representations of childhood attachment experiences with parents, (b) perceptions of parental support for sexual orientation, (c) general working model of attachment, and (d) LGB variables. Results generally supported the proposed model. For example, attachment avoidance and anxiety were associated with self-acceptance difficulties, and avoidance was associated with low levels of outness in everyday life. Parental attachment had an indirect effect on identity and outness through its associations with parental LGB support and general attachment. Some results varied depending on participants' gender and parental religious affiliation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
In the present study, the authors proposed and tested a model of marital quality among individuals (52 men, 55 women) in dual-career marriages. The model was constructed within a social role framework and includes variables that positively influence marital quality, those that negatively influence marital quality, and those that mediate the relationship between the negative factors and marital quality. A path analysis indicated that marital quality was predicted directly by love, sexual satisfaction, communication, and satisfaction with the dual-career lifestyle. Objective demands of job and family roles predicted perceived job-family role strain. Coping, but not perceived equity, mediated the relationship between role strain and marital quality. Combined income and social support impacted marital quality indirectly through satisfaction with the dual-career lifestyle. Implications for counselors are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
In the present study, the authors proposed and tested a model of marital quality among individuals (52 men, 55 women) in dual-career marriages. The model was constructed within a social role framework and includes variables that positively influence marital quality, those that negatively influence marital quality, and those that mediate the relationship between the negative factors and marital quality. A path analysis indicated that marital quality was predicted directly by love, sexual satisfaction, communication, and satisfaction with the dual-career lifestyle. Objective demands of job and family roles predicted perceived job-family role strain. Coping, but not perceived equity, mediated the relationship between role strain and marital quality. Combined income and social support impacted marital quality indirectly through satisfaction with the dual-career lifestyle. Implications for counselors are discussed.
This study investigated how marital partners influenced each other concerning work and family decisions and connected influence strategies to marital satisfaction. Sixty-one married couples who had faced work-family decisions in the past 6 months participated. Results indicated that gender role ideology and indirect influence strategies were related to marital satisfaction. The variables that were related to marital satisfaction differed for men and women. One partner's ideology and influence strategies were associated with the other partner's satisfaction. Implications for practitioners are discussed.
This article reviews three dramatic workplace changes and examines their implications for employees and their families. The changes include downsizing, diffusing information via computerized telecommunication technologies, and increasing reliance on high-involvement team approaches. It is proposed that these changes are related to workplace characteristics that impact families, including work stress, social support, and occupational complexity. Conclusions focus on program and policy implications of these work-family dynamics.
We investigate the relationship between marital satisfaction and the family division of both paid and domestic work, and we assess whether value preferences for the gender division, the balance of power, and perceptions of equity and empathy mediate this relationship in a random sample of 382 two-earner married couples. Using a path analysis, we find that the division of labor and role preferences affect marital satisfaction mainly through perceptions of fairness, but what is "fair" is different for husbands and wives. The gendered meanings attached to domestic and paid work are important in understanding these differences and lend support to a gendered model of marital satisfaction.
This article provides a rationale and interdisciplinary framework for integrating work and other dimensions of life by (a) reviewing relevant changes in society and the career development and counseling profession, (b) describing one holistic career-planning model called Integrative Life Planning (ILP), based on 6 interactive critical life tasks, and (c) discussing questions and issues surrounding narrow versus broad approaches to life planning. ILP includes a strong emphasis on career counselors as advocates and change agents. It focuses on several kinds of wholeness, integrative thinking, democratic values, and helping clients make career decisions not only for self-satisfaction but also for the common good.
In this article, the career decision making of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals is discussed in the framework of personal (interests, values, and skills) and environmental factors and their interactive influences. Suggestions for research and practice are proposed.
The purpose of this article is to consider how the identity development of gay men and lesbian women influences their career stage development, as proposed in Super's (1990) Life-Span Approach. First, there is an overview of a model that describes six stages in coming to accept a gay or lesbian orientation. Next, Super's Life-Span Approach to career development and its key concepts are briefly described. Within that section, there is discussion of the implications of gay and lesbian identity formation for the various stages and tasks in the career development of gay and lesbian individuals. Finally, implications for career counseling practice and future research are discussed.
Rates of involuntary job loss (from plant closures, downsizing, and so on) have been increasing in the United States during the past 15 years. Using several cross-sectional surveys from the Current Population Survey, and longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, this article demonstrates that the likelihood of job displacement differs according to marital status, the presence or absence of young children, and single-parenthood, even after controlling for employees' age, sex, race, education, industry, occupation, and other pertinent factors. Divorce is associated with the subsequent loss of their jobs. Conversely, job displacement also raises the risk of subsequent marital breakdown. Thus the waves of job displacement have not been neutral with regard to family structure. These findings are discussed in terms of theories of work-family conflicts.
Clinicians are increasingly consulted by couples whose conflicts arise from or are exacerbated by a dual-career relationship. Therapy with these couples can be greatly aided when treatment is tailored to the unique needs of their relational system. A protocol for tailoring treatment based on a comprehensive, multidimensional assessment is described and illustrated with case material.
This book presents an integrative life planning (ILP) model for career professionals/counselors to use in helping their clients develop career and life pathways responsive to their own economic, family, spiritual, and cultural needs and also to community needs. Discussed in chapters 1-2, which introduce the ILP model as a new way of thinking about career development and trace its interdisciplinary origins, are the following topics: career and adult development; gender-role theory; theories of women's development and development of the "new male"; multicultural theories/knowledge; and spirituality. Chapters 3-8 examine the six critical tasks that constitute the ILP model's framework: finding work that needs doing in changing global contexts; weaving one's life into a meaningful whole; connecting family and work; valuing pluralism and inclusivity; exploring spirituality and life purpose; and managing personal transitions and organizational change. Chapter 9 reviews the concepts underlying ILP model and the ILP critical tasks, discusses the implications of ILP for career professionals, and examines the possibility of using the ILP model to effect social change. Concluding the book is a resource section that includes descriptions of 26 activities for use in accomplishing the critical ILP tasks. Eighteen figures/tables, 361 references, and name and subject indexes are included. (MN)
Explores the vocational psychology of lesbians. Identity and work are assumed to be interrelated elements of the self, and a continuum from invisibility to integration captures 2 critical aspects of a consideration of lesbian identity in the workplace. The author characterizes the range of responses lesbians use in resolving the core dilemma of how to manage their identities as lesbian workers. She then describes a needed progression in the career development literature, in which consideration of lesbian workers becomes an integral part of vocational psychology. The literature in lesbian and women's identity development is reviewed, followed by a discussion of the vocational issues of lesbians as related both to identity development and to the literature in the vocational psychology of women. The article concludes with suggestions for future theoretical and empirical efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Reviews research literature of the past 15 yrs to assess the impact of 4 factors on women's career continuity. These are the husband's attitude toward his wife's paid employment, financial considerations, household responsibilities, and wife's personality variables. Particular issues relevant to career counselors are highlighted throughout this review, and a variety of career related strategies are presented that can be used to assist clients in achieving this balance. By acknowledging the association between personality characteristics and job characteristics and satisfaction, career counselors can play very significant roles in helping women achieve satisfaction in the work force. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Surveyed 56 maritally separated individuals (mean age 37.4 yrs) regarding the causes and consequences of their marital separation, and the manner in which they coped with the adjustment. It was found that a disproportionate number of females in the sample were initiators, and that communication difficulties, emotional abuse, and the lack of love were cited most often as precipitants of the separation. Differences were found in both structural and functional aspects of the social support network; differences were also found in arguments over the children, romantic involvement, time spent with other people, involvement with the legal system, and changes in income. Mean scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale both at the time of separation and at the time of interview indicated clinical depression. Increased psychiatric symptomatology correlated significantly with several events that precipitated the separation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Relates selected concepts from the general literature of gay and lesbian psychology to the career development of gay men. The article highlights how the comprehension of personal issues in the lives of gay men can increase understanding of career development. Specific concerns related to sexual identity development, the management of social stigma, and psychological adjustment are reviewed, and suggestions are offered both to practitioners and to researchers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Current career counseling practices are based on certain assumptions about clients and their career development. These assumptions--concerning (a) the separation of work and family roles in people's lives; (b) reverence for individualism and autonomy in American life; (c) the centrality of work as life activity in people's lives; (d) the linear, progressive and rational nature of the career development process; and (e) the structure of opportunity characterizing the labor force as a whole--implicitly reflect male, western European experiences and worldviews. These assumptions may not reflect the general life priorities and specific role commitments of many women of color and White women. An ecological perspective on career counseling is proposed to conceptualize the dynamic interaction between the person and the environment. This perspective holds promise for assisting career counselors in their work with women of color and White women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Provides a comprehensive review of 15 articles on career counseling interventions with gay and lesbian clients. The articles are organized into 8 categories: counselor bias, testing and counseling, discrimination, couple and family, occupational role models and networking, coming out, school-to-occupation transitions, and societal interventions. The review summarizes the practice knowledge gleaned from the literature and makes recommendations on what research needs to be conducted to establish the area of gay and lesbian career development in the published research literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Provides an overview of critical issues in the lifestyle of the dual-career couple. These issues, while interdependent, can be categorized into 3 areas: career-related, family system, and individual. Career-related issues tend to be conflicts between the needs of a spouse's career and the needs of the other spouse. Family system issues revolve around the division of roles, the division of power, and marriage and family satisfaction. Individual issues have to do with conflicts in gender roles for each spouse. Implications of these issues for the career development process are discussed, including client education, counselor values and attitudes, use of conjoint counseling, and integration of career counseling with other aspects of the couple's lifestyle. Recommendations are offered for increasing the effectiveness of career development counseling for individuals who are, or anticipate being, part of a dual-career couple. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Regardless of a family's race, age, or structure, poverty and economic hardship can penetrate its boundaries, and poverty is one of the most far-reaching social issues in the US. This chapter provides an overview of how poverty affects American families. Several questions are examined: (1) How is poverty measured? (2) How has the landscape of poverty changed over time? (3) How long and often are households poor? (4) Who are the poor? (5) How does the US compare with other countries in regard to poverty? (6) What is the human meaning of poverty? and (7) What impact does poverty have on family dynamics, in terms of kinship, marriage, childbearing, and marital dissatisfaction and dissolution? To conclude, a brief conceptual framework with which to answer these questions is presented that considers three components of structural vulnerability: the tenuous condition of economic vulnerability, the importance of social class, and the lack of opportunities for all in the US. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This review highlights four themes emerging from the work and family literature of the 1990s. The first theme evolves from the historical legacy of the maternal employment literature with its focus on children's well-being. The second theme, work socialization, is based on the premise that occupational conditions, such as autonomy and complexity, shape the values of workers who in turn generalize these lessons off the job. Research on work stress, the third theme, explores how experiences of short- and long-term stress at work make their mark on workers' behavior and well-being off the job. Finally, the multiple roles literature focuses on how individuals balance roles, such as parent, spouse, and worker, and the consequences for health and family relationships. In addition to these four major themes, advances in work and family policy initiatives over the past decade are discussed. Suggestions for future research focus on addressing issues of causality, attending to the complexity of social contexts, linking research to policy, and developing interdisciplinary theories and research designs.
A career is defined as the combination and sequence of roles played by a person during the course of a lifetime. These roles include those of child, pupil or student, leisurite, citizen, worker, spouse, homemaker, parent, and pensioner, positions with associated expectations that are occupied at some time by most people, and other less common roles such as those of criminal, reformer, and lover. A Life-Career Rainbow is presented as a means of helping conceptualize multidimensional careers, the temporal involvement in, and the emotional commitment to, each role. Self-actualization in various roles, role conflicts, and the determinants of role selection and of role performance are discussed. The use of the Rainbow in career education and in counseling is briefly considered.
In this rich, surprising portrait of the world of lesbian and gay relationships, Christopher Carrington unveils the complex and artful ways that gay people create and maintain both homes and "chosen" families for themselves.
Passing is the social process by which gay men and lesbians present themselves to the world as heterosexuals. A questionnaire survey of same-sex couples, recruited through a national support organization, examined the impact of passing on relationship quality. Passing was not related to self-reported love for partner. However, respondents who were known to significant others as homosexual were more likely to report satisfaction with their relationships. Social workers providing services to gay and lesbian couples are alerted to the primary role played by significant others in the same-sex couple relationship.
Diversity among stepfamilies
- E M Hetherington
- M Stanley-Hagan
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