Political and family values within society have impacted upon the modern family structure.
Traditionally, it has been the man’s role to be the breadwinner for the family – providing the
funds to pay for food and shelter. However, due to the many new and unique responsibilities
placed upon families, in numerous cases both men and women – fathers and mothers – have had
to enter the workforce. Generally, the reasons for both being involved in the workforce revolve
around the need to add to the family’s current financial base. To a lesser extent, the need to
interact with ‘adults’ in a stimulating work environment is another popular reason. Whatever
their reasons, for many families, the decision for father and mother to go out of the home and
join the labour force has led to a number of side effects within the home which, in turn, impact
upon their performance as employees.
Many researchers agree that attitudes towards work are carried over into family life. This
spillover can be positive or negative. Positive spillover refers to the spread of satisfaction and
positive stimulation at work resulting in high levels of energy and satisfaction at home. If the
amount of research is to be taken as an indication, it would seem that positive spillover is not a
dominant occurrence in the workplace with most research focussing on the effects of negative
spillover. Often pointing out the incompatible nature of work and family life, the research
focuses on problems and conflict at work which has the effect of draining and preoccupying the
individual, making it difficult for him or her to participate fully in family life.
Social scientists have devised a number of theories in an attempt to explain the work-family
dynamic. Compensation theory is one which has been widely used. It assumes that the
relationship between work and family is negative by pointing out that high involvement in one
sphere – invariably the work sphere – leads to low involvement in the other. As an individual
advances within a career, demands typically fluctuate from moderate to more demanding and if
the advancing worker has younger children, this shift in work responsibilities will usually
manifest itself in the form of less time spent with the family. Researchers subscribing to this
theory point out that the drain on family time is significantly related to work-family conflict with
an escalation in conflict as the number of family members increase.
Segmentation theory proposes that work and family are actually two entirely separate domains
and individuals are able to maintain a clear demarcation between the two. Theorists subscribing
to this view maintain that emotions, attitudes and behaviours enlisted in the two different
environments are separate and will not have any impact upon work or family. While this theory
is certainly applicable for some, apparently not all men and women are able to neatly divide the
two experiences. Winthrope points out that, “Even though a woman may enter the workforce,
research has shown that within the context of the family, the care of her husband and children as
well as the living quarters is still heavily the woman’s domain.” This kind of idea is tied up in the
old adage; a woman’s place is in the home. She is seen as the one who takes care of all domestic
duties whereas, stereotypically, it is the man who brings home the food for the family. The
degree to which this is felt is certainly based upon societal expectations and behavioural norms.
Despite this, there has been no positive link shown that one sex experiences greater difficulty in
managing work-family conflicts over another.
Question 1-4: Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
1) The main reason fathers and mothers join the workforce is
A. They want to escape the boring environment of home.
B. They want to be able to retire comfortably.
C. They need extra money.
D. They need the mature interaction that goes on between adults.
2) ‘Spillover’ is
A. Mostly positive when it comes to the workplace.
B. A term researchers use to describe work life.
C. A dominant area of scientific research.
D. A term which relates to how work life affects family life.
3) The significance of Winthrop's comment is that working women
A. should not do the work of men.
B. are heavily relied upon to do household duties.
C. should not work outside of the home.
D. leave household work for their husbands to do.
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 4-6 on your answer sheet write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
4) Lack of money is the main reason both fathers and mothers enter the workforce.
5) Conflict between work and family increases according to the size of the family.
6) Men handle work stresses better than women.
