Abstract
This qualitative study explored the work and child caregiving commitments and choices of 69 women with options limited by poverty and rural living. Four groups of women with distinct patterns of commitment to working and child caregiving varied in the ways in which they achieved caregiving-work arrangements that were congruent with these commitments. Mothers who were constrained not only by economic and geographic limitations but also by multiple personal challenges emerged as particularly distressed. Variations in caregiving and work commitments call for variation in family and employment supports; implications for social work policy and services are discussed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 306-319 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Affilia - Journal of Women and Social Work |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2006 |
Keywords
- Low-income women
- Maternal roles
- Rural women
- Work-life balance