6 - Childrearing

Summary

In this chapter we consider whether there are differences in childrearing styles between employed mothers and full-time homemakers. It was pointed out in Chapter 1 that there has been very little research directly examining the relationship between the mother's employment status and parenting behavior or orientations. Most of what have been proposed as differences have been inferred from outcomes, not examined empirically. Here we try to identify childrearing orientations that are associated with the mother's employment status. In Chapter 10, we will consider how such differences may affect the child.

The childrearing orientations to be examined are organized into three general categories. First we will focus on methods of discipline and control. Although these are not the variables typically examined in research on maternal employment effects, they have been the focus of research on children's competence, aggressiveness, and moral development (Baumrind, 1967; Dornbusch & Gray, 1988; M. Hoffman, 1988). Second, we look for differences between employment groups in attitudes and behaviors relevant to their children's independence, maturity, and achievement. As noted in Chapter 1, previous research has suggested that employed mothers encourage independence, maturity, and achievement in their children more than do full-time homemakers, particularly for daughters (Alessandri, 1992; Bartko & McHale, 1991; Gottfried, Gottfried, & Bathurst, 1988; Hoffman, 1989). Third, we examine differences in the amount of interaction and affection: Is it true that the mother's employment diminishes the quantity and quality of interaction for school-age children as those opposed to mothers' employment have argued?