Maternal employment and early adolescent's independence

The effect of occupational career

Abstract

This study examines relationships between maternal employment and early adolescent's independence. This research examines the effects of not only current maternal work condition but also occupational career that is based on life-course perspective. In addition to this, this analysis will control mother's parenting behaviors to assess the net effect of maternal employment. The analysis uses combined data from 451 married women and their children. This findings indicate that current maternal work condition isn't related to children's independence, but maternal occupational career is significantly related to children's independence. The results also suggested that independence of children whose mother has been working continuously is highest among all of occupational careers. This suggested that life-course perspective in the studies of maternal employment is important and that continuous maternal employment doesn't have deleterious effect on children, but even positive effect on them. Furthermore, it is pointed that the research in this area should move beyond the question of whether maternal employment has positive or negative effect. exploring the condition that makes us manage the interface between maternal employment and child rearing.