Abstract
Women who choose to leave their work and devote themselves to the “mommy track” are inclined to be less educated, more conservative or religious, and of lower socio-economic status. Their self-esteem is low as their earning potential. In light of these findings and assumptions, I am interested in a growing phenomenon in Israeli society; secular, Jewish women of middle to upper-middle class, well educated, with high potential income, who choose to leave their job for an unlimited time after giving birth. These women also choose, accordingly, a traditional and gendered model of division of labor at home. Why do these highly educated women prefer to leave their job and choose a ‘mommy track’? The analysis is based on in-depth interviews with 21 Jewish Israeli women who have at least one child and who dropped out of the labor force after giving birth and devoted themselves to motherhood. Interviewees’ ages range from 25 to 52. Most of them are of middle to upper-middle class backgrounds. An examination and analysis of the researched mothers’ motivations to drop out of the labor force can be summarized as – a conflict between home and work. Within this category, two main themes were found: “a perceived conflict” (based on images of “the ideal mother”) and “an objective conflict” (a “real”, circumstantial conflict). Perception of gender roles was crucial in accounts of and rationales for staying at home, as was found in other studies, as well as acceptance together with ambivalence towards this decision.
Presenters
Darya MaozSenior Lecturer, Management of Service Organizations, Hadassah Academic College, Yerushalayim, Israel
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Work-life balance, Multiple role strain, Stay at Home Mothers, Gender
