Alexandria Digital Research Library

Employed Graduate Student Mothers : The Benefits, Challenges, and Perspectives of Women Fulfilling Student, Family, and Worker Roles

Author:
DuBransky, Tanisha Douglas
Degree Grantor:
University of California, Santa Barbara. Education
Degree Supervisor:
Sharon Conley
Place of Publication:
[Santa Barbara, Calif.]
Publisher:
University of California, Santa Barbara
Creation Date:
2014
Issued Date:
2014
Topics:
Sociology, Individual and Family Studies, Psychology, Social, and Education, Higher
Keywords:
Role conflict
Graduate student
Multiple roles
Adult education
Role enrichment
Working mother
Genres:
Online resources and Dissertations, Academic
Dissertation:
Ph.D.--University of California, Santa Barbara, 2014
Description:

A rising number of students are pursuing graduate degrees while working and parenting young children. Gender differences in the experience of multiple roles are well-known, and graduate school and childbearing years tend to overlap. This study sought to discover how employed graduate student mothers (GSMs)---women fulfilling work, academic, and parenting roles---experience, perceive, and meet the demands of their multiple roles. Some of the work-family literature has explained the interface between the work and family domains using two contrasting perspectives (i.e. role conflict and role enrichment), and it is now known that role occupants can experience both conflict and enrichment throughout the course of meeting multiple role demands. The participants in the study were concurrently involved in the roles of parent of one or more preschool child(ren), graduate student (MA, EdD, or PsyD), and (full- or part-time) employee. Each woman completed a brief, structured demographic questionnaire and participated in a one-on-one, semi-structured, open-ended interview. A case-oriented, cross-case analysis using inductive and deductive methods was conducted. The findings indicated that employed GSMs experienced both challenges and benefits in the course of fulfilling student, family, and work role demands. However, an overall perspective of conflict or enrichment appeared to be related to the experience of role overload and certain student and family role factors, including the employed GSM's position in her graduate program, the role management technique she used, and the age(s) and number of her child(ren).

Physical Description:
1 online resource (161 pages)
Format:
Text
Collection(s):
UCSB electronic theses and dissertations
ARK:
ark:/48907/f347481q
ISBN:
9781321567663
Catalog System Number:
990045118150203776
Rights:
Inc.icon only.dark In Copyright
Copyright Holder:
Tanisha DuBransky
File Description
Access: Public access
DuBransky_ucsb_0035D_12390.pdf pdf (Portable Document Format)