Maternal Employment: Marvel or Menace - the Views of Children, Young Adults, and Parents

This timely book describes numerous empirical research investigations exploring attitudes toward maternal employment. Large samples of young adults were asked a wide variety of questions about their experiences and plans for the future. The impact of maternal employment on relationships with parents was a particular focus of several of these studies. Several studies also explored the views of adolescents, to see if younger individuals saw things differently. Children from both suburban and urban backgrounds were compared. Parents were also surveyed. Their perceptions of the effects of maternal employment on their own and others' families were assessed. Finally, cross-temporal and cross-cultural examinations were conducted, to examine changes in attitudes over time and place. These studies allow the reader to consider the long-term consequences of maternal employment and to juxtapose empirical findings with conventional assumptions about the impact of maternal employment. Some of the findings are consistent with cultural myths, but other findings sharply contrast with conventional wisdom. Reviewing this research will be helpful to those interested in exploring how their families helped to shape their lives, and those formulating career and family plans. Reading this research may enable them to make more informed personal choices.