Gendered futures, constrained choices: undergraduate perceptions of work and family
Murray, John LU
and Cutcher, Leanne
(2012)
In Journal of Population Research
29(4).
p.315-328
- Abstract
- Debates about the gendered division of labour tend to focus on negotiation and decision-making by couples in the present, and assume that individuals make rational choices based on present circumstances when deciding questions about workforce engagement, domestic labour and childcare responsibilities. As a result, they overlook the fact that choices made in the present are shaped by past choices. We argue that choices made in the present about work and family are better understood as the outcome of a complex mix of choices that are made across the life course. Drawing on interview data with university undergraduates we show how they were already engaging in 'gendered' choices about careers long before the spectre of work and family became... (More)
- Debates about the gendered division of labour tend to focus on negotiation and decision-making by couples in the present, and assume that individuals make rational choices based on present circumstances when deciding questions about workforce engagement, domestic labour and childcare responsibilities. As a result, they overlook the fact that choices made in the present are shaped by past choices. We argue that choices made in the present about work and family are better understood as the outcome of a complex mix of choices that are made across the life course. Drawing on interview data with university undergraduates we show how they were already engaging in 'gendered' choices about careers long before the spectre of work and family became a daily reality. These choices were made in relation to future identities in which young men imagine a nirvana of seamless work-family balance, while young women imagine a future of compromise and negotiation with inevitable career interruption. In seeking to understand these highly gendered positions our paper contributes to debates about choice in work and family. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/45c98717-15d7-4fbc-8cff-eaf6b7a4ef64
- author
- Murray, John
LU
and Cutcher, Leanne
- publishing date
- 2012
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Journal of Population Research
- volume
- 29
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 14 pages
- publisher
- Springer Gabler
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:84870390553
- ISSN
- 1443-2447
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- 45c98717-15d7-4fbc-8cff-eaf6b7a4ef64
- alternative location
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12546-012-9099-0
- date added to LUP
- 2024-02-14 12:00:41
- date last changed
- 2024-02-15 14:41:20
@article{45c98717-15d7-4fbc-8cff-eaf6b7a4ef64,
abstract = {{Debates about the gendered division of labour tend to focus on negotiation and decision-making by couples in the present, and assume that individuals make rational choices based on present circumstances when deciding questions about workforce engagement, domestic labour and childcare responsibilities. As a result, they overlook the fact that choices made in the present are shaped by past choices. We argue that choices made in the present about work and family are better understood as the outcome of a complex mix of choices that are made across the life course. Drawing on interview data with university undergraduates we show how they were already engaging in 'gendered' choices about careers long before the spectre of work and family became a daily reality. These choices were made in relation to future identities in which young men imagine a nirvana of seamless work-family balance, while young women imagine a future of compromise and negotiation with inevitable career interruption. In seeking to understand these highly gendered positions our paper contributes to debates about choice in work and family.}},
author = {{Murray, John and Cutcher, Leanne}},
issn = {{1443-2447}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{315--328}},
publisher = {{Springer Gabler}},
series = {{Journal of Population Research}},
title = {{Gendered futures, constrained choices: undergraduate perceptions of work and family}},
url = {{https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12546-012-9099-0}},
volume = {{29}},
year = {{2012}},
}