A Life Course Perspective on Women’s Reconciliation of Family and Employment

Abstract

The dissertation addresses women’s reconciliation behavior from an, in many ways, more consequentially pursued life course perspective (Mayer 2001) than has been done before. In three self-contained research articles, it goes beyond researching singular transitions, unidirectional mechanisms, short- and medium-term observation periods, and processes that have been assumed to be universal across the life course. Specifically, it elaborates on (a) how the nature and effect of reconciliation behaviors varies by their embedment in the female life course, (b) how reconciliation behaviors are highly interrelated complexes of family and employment decisions and transitions, and (c) how intrinsic (e.g., education) and extrinsic (e.g., policies) conditions influence the nature and effect of women’s reconciliation behavior. Along these lines, it applies both macro- and micro-level approaches and thus offers methodologically innovative strategies and valuable additions to understanding women’s reconciliation of family and employment.