Encumbered: a critical feminist analysis of why mothers want part-time employment

ABSTRACT

Mothers are often viewed as encumbered workers, juggling multiple responsibilities in paid and reproductive work. In this article, we examine the paid and reproductive experiences of mothers with preschool children in Canada, using a socio-ecological framework and a critical-feminist lens to explore the micro and macro environments that shape women’s home and work lives. To do this analysis, we completed demographic surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews with 58 mothers of preschool children in the Province of Alberta, Canada. The key finding discussed in this article is that for many participants, regardless of current job status (full-time, part-time or opt-out), the idealized solution to work-family integration challenges was part-time employment. Results suggest that although part-time employment was viewed as an ideal for many mothers, in practice, it proved to be a less-than-perfect solution for mothers attempting to integrate paid and unpaid work. Because earned income is the key source of financial well-being for the vast majority of Canadian households, and mothers’ marginalization in paid work may impede mothers’ income security and wellbeing, we posit that maternal employment is a key facet of gender equality that needs more attention in the scholarly literature.

KEYWORDS:

• Part-time work
• Gender and work
• Maternal employment
• Critical-feminist analysis
• Canada‌

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The International Labour Organization acknowledges that the threshold for part-time work varies between countries and organizations (International Labour Organization, n.d.). In this study, we defined part-time work as time worked between 1 and 30 h, and fulltime work as 31 h per week or more. This is slightly different from Statistics Canada who defines full-time work as 30 h or more.

2 Day home is the term used in Alberta to describe child are offered in someone’s home. It can be licenced or unlicenced.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Notes on contributors

Rhonda Breitkreuz

Rhonda Breitkreuz is Professor and Chair in the Department of Human Ecology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. In her research programme, The Gender, Family & Policy Research Initiative, Breitkreuz explores the ways in which social policies impact wellbeing, gender equality, and access to resources for individuals and families in both Canada and internationally. She is the founder and director of the Global Research Network on the Economic Empowerment of Women. This network is comprised of an interdisciplinary group of international scholars that aim to enhance women’s economic and social wellbeing in six global regions.

Laura Cadrain

Laura Cadrain is a graduate student in the Department of Human Ecology. Her research examines the ways in which maternal employment decisions shape women’s economic autonomy in later life.

Jaira Dyckerhoff

Jaira Dyckerhoff is a graduate of the family science undergraduate programme in the Department of Human Ecology. Her research interests include the linkages between social policy environments and women’s wellbeing.

Haneen Abraham

Haneen Abraham is a graduate student in the Department of Human Ecology. Her research explores how childcare and parental leave policies shape experiences of maternal employment.

Madeline Robbenhaar

Madeline Robbenhaar is a graduate student in the Department of Human Ecology. Her research explores how welfare policies shape low-income women’s experiences of paid and reproductive work.