lived experiences‟ of working mothers in ireland

225 Pages·2011·1.15 MB·English

A NARRATIVE STUDY OF
„LIVED EXPERIENCES‟ OF WORKING MOTHERS
IN IRELAND

A doctoral thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award
of Doctor of Social Sciences at The University of Leicester

by

Jacinta Marie Byrne-Doran
Centre for Labour Market Studies
University of Leicester
February 2011

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Title: A Narrative study of „lived experiences‟ of working mothers in Ireland.

Author: Jacinta Marie Byrne-Doran

ABSTRACT

Choice or Constraint ideas have dominated theoretical approaches to the study of
women‟s lives. Preference theory, postulated by Hakim (1996; 2000) contrasts with the
„constraints ideology‟ evident in the work of Walby (1990) and Crompton (1997; 2006).
This study revisits this dichotomy with the purpose of a thematic exploration of the
stories of a group of working mothers in Ireland. The lived experiences of working
mothers are thematically explored using a sample of 11 mothers who work in paid
employment outside the home. Significant themes illuminate the role of maternal
grandmothers and husbands/partners in the mothers‟ search for balance between their
home and work lives

A biographical narrative approach is adopted within this study within an interpretive
phenomenological epistemology where, through in-depth interviews, working mothers
explore their experiences of work and home domains. Data presented is evidenced from
two qualitative interviews with each participant; one in Spring 2009 and interview two
in Autumn 2009. The creative use of second interviews creates a conversational space in
which the mothers reflected on their daily lives as they cope with „competing devotions‟
(Blair-Loy 2003) of work and home.

This study highlights that while working mothers make choices with regard to paid work
outside the home they do so within constraints. Given the competing devotions (Blair-
Loy 2003) of home and work domains faced by working mothers, many of the working
mothers in this study did take up formal work-life balance initiatives, while others relied
on informal work-life balance supports from line managers and colleagues in particular.
Despite these work-life supports the working mothers in this study not only faced the
responsibilities of „the second shift‟ (Hochschild 1989) but also evidenced the presence
of „the third shift‟ (Hochschild 1997; Kremen Bolton 2000) in their daily negotiations
between choice or constraint across work and home domains.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank from the outset my supervisors Dr. Arwen Raddon and Dr.
Henrietta O‟Connor for their supervision, guidance and support throughout the duration
of this research. Additionally my sincere thanks to all staff at the Centre for Labour
Market studies at the University of Leicester for their support throughout my „Doctorate
Journey‟ which began in September 2004. My personal and professional learning was
supported from the beginning by my attendance at the teaching days, my interactions on
Blackboard and my email and skype correspondence with a most supportive team of
professionals. Thank you.

Thank you to eleven working mothers who agreed to participate in this study. I am very
grateful for the time and contribution you have made to this work.

I wish also to thank all of my friends and colleagues who took an interest in my study,
who inspired me with their intellectual stimulation, their words of support and their
gestures of love and caring.

Thank you to Mam and Dad.

Loving thanks are especially extended to my family; all too numerous to mention by
name for their constant support of me, my life and my studies over the past number of
years.

Special thanks and unending love are extended to three very special people: Jessica,
Abby and Aaron Doran for being the people they choose to be and for the love they
show me on a daily basis.

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STATEMENT OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP

In accordance with the University of Leicester Regulations for Research Students I
hereby certify that I am responsible for the work submitted in this thesis and that the
original work is my own. Neither this thesis nor the original work contained therein has
been submitted to this or any other institution for a higher degree.

Signed:
Date:

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CONTENTS
ABSTRACT I
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS II
STATEMENT OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP III
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION: WOMEN, WORK AND LIVED EXPERIENCES 1
INTRODUCTION 1
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 3
SUMMARY OF EVIDENT THEMES IN RELATION TO MOTHERS AND WORK: 6
Organisational goals and working mothers: 6
Changing dynamics in relationships with partner, family and family of origin: 7
Relevance of maternity services and related services: 8
REASONS FOR UNDERTAKING THE STUDY 10
LIVED EXPERIENCES: LIFE WORLDS AND MEANING 12
PHENOMENOLOGY OF EXPERIENCE AND SENSE MAKING 13
METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES OF DATA 14
STUDY SAMPLE 16
LAYOUT OF THE STUDY 18
CHAPTER 2 A MOTHER‟S WORK IS NEVER DONE A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 22
INTRODUCTION 22
RESEARCH DISCOURSES ON WOMEN AND WORK 23
WHERE HAVE WOMEN AND MOTHERS BEEN RESEARCHED IN THE CONTEXT OF WORK AND
EMPLOYMENT? 24
Significance of women‟s roles 27
Ceilings to the corporate life 29
THE CONCEPT OF WORK AND THE MEANING OF WORK 30
THE POLARISATION OF WOMEN AND MOTHERS‟ WORK 32
WOMEN AND MOTHERS GOING OUT TO WORK 36
WORK SCHEDULING OF MATERNAL EMPLOYMENT 39
RESEARCHING IN AN IRISH CONTEXT 43
THE REALITY AND INFLUENCE OF ORGANISATION CULTURE 47
WORK-LIFE BALANCE DEFINITIONS AND DIVIDES 48
THE PROBLEM WITH BREADWINNING AS A CONCEPT 49
CONCEPT OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE 49
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE UPTAKE OF WORK-LIFE INITIATIVES 54
THE PROCESS OF FINDING A BALANCE 59
BALANCE AND THE REFLECTIVE PROCESS 61
CONCLUSION 63
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CHAPTER 3 “IT‟S ALL IN THE TELLING”: A NARRATIVE METHODOLOCIAL
APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF LIVED EXPERIENCES 64
INTRODUCTION 64
EPISTEMOLOGY AND INTERPRETIVISM 64
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION AS RELATIVIST ONTOLOGY 66
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONS AND SOCIAL WORLDS 67
COMMUNAL INTERCHANGE AND REAL LIVES 69
NARRATIVE APPROACH 72
Narrative and narrative reflections 73
Levels of narrative relevant to studying working mothers 74
Constructive power of narratives 75
QUALITATIVE IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWING AS METHODOLOGICAL TOOL 76
SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS 77
CAREER PROFILE OF PARTICIPATING MOTHERS 78
FIRST ROUND INTERVIEWS, SPRING 2009 81
SECOND ROUND INTERVIEWS, AUTUMN 2009 82
INTERVIEW SCHEDULE FOR FIRST ROUND INTERVIEWS 82
THE INTERPRETIVE REFLEXIVE TURN 83
CHOICE OF METHODOLOGICAL TOOL AND THE REFLEXIVE PROCESS 84
DATA ANALYSIS 87
THEMATIC NARRATIVE ANALYSIS 88
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR UNDERTAKING THIS STUDY 90
THE ISSUE OF GENERALISABILITY 92
STUDY LIMITATIONS 94
CONCLUSION 96
CHAPTER 4 “TELL ME A STORY MAMMY”: STORIES OF LIVED EXPERIENCES 97
INTRODUCTION 97
THE EXPERIENCE OF PAID WORK AS A MOTHER 98
SIGNIFICANCE OF MOTHERS IN THESE MOTHERS LIVES 101
FROM MOTHER SUPPORT TO PARTNER/SPOUSE SUPPORT 108
PARTNERS AND SPOUSES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WORKING MOTHERS 115
IDENTIFICATION WITH WORK 118
CONCLUSION 126
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CHAPTER 5 „MOTHERS‟ REFLECTIONS OF THE „THIRD SHIFT‟. 127
INTRODUCTION 127
OLDER CHILDREN, TEENAGERS AND ADULT CHILDREN: MOTHER AS THE COMMON DENOMINATOR
128
FROM FULL TIME WORK TO PART TIME OPTIONS IN SEARCH OF BALANCE 133
THE PROCESS OF ATTAINING AND MAINTAINING BALANCE 135
FORMAL TO INFORMAL IN SEARCH OF BALANCE, THE PLACE FOR MANAGERS, COLLEAGUES AND
CHILDREN: 139
Role of managers: 139
Role of colleagues: 142
Role of children: 143
COPING MECHANISMS ADOPTED BY WORKING MOTHERS 146
THE VALUE OF RETURNING TO PARTICIPANTS WITH THEIR TRANSCRIPTS 148
CONCLUSION 152
CHAPTER 6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 153
INTRODUCTION 153
SUMMARY OF THE LITERATURE REVIEWED 154
Choice or Constraint 154
Work life balance initiatives 154
„The second shift‟ 155
SUMMARY OF METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH 155
KEY THEMES AND FINDINGS: WORKING MOTHERS „LIVED EXPERIENCES‟ 158
Choices within Constraints 158
Second generation of working mothers 160
Working mothers search for work-life balance 160
Significance of Maternal Grandmothers 161
The Support of a Good Husband/Partner 161
Working Mothers and the Second Shift 163
Working Mothers and the Third Shift 164
CONCLUSION 166
APPENDICES 168
APPENDIX 1: CONSENT FORM 1 168
APPENDIX 2: CONSENT FROM 2 172
APPENDIX 3: RESEARCH FLYER 175
APPENDIX 4: LETTER TO GATEKEEPERS 176
APPENDIX 5: INTERVIEW SCHEDULE AND TOPIC GUIDE 177
APPENDIX 6: COVERING LETTER FOR INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS 180
APPENDIX 7: SAMPLE INTERVIEW 1 181
APPENDIX 8: SAMPLE INTERVIEW 2 188
APPENDIX 9: THE RESEARCHER‟S JOURNAL 193
REFERENCES 200

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List of Tables
Table 1: Irish legislation relating to work-life balance policy.
Table 2: Summary of participating working mothers.
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION:
WOMEN, WORK AND LIVED EXPERIENCES

INTRODUCTION
This study explores the experiences of working mothers in paid work outside the home.
This focus is important in view of the current media attention paid to the role of women
in society and in particular in the government and leadership of states (Kelleher 2010;
Waterfield 2010). Devlin (2010) discusses the role of gender quotas and the possibilities
of allowing women to be equal partners in the The Irish Parliament (The Dáil) in a bid to
fashion „a fairer Ireland‟. The present study of working mothers is essential to the
continued research focus on women and work against the key conceptualisations of
Preference Theory (Hakim 1996; 2000) and the „constraints ideology‟ supported by
Walby (1990) and Crompton (1997; 2006).

While acknowledging the diverse nature of women lives the focus for the study will be
on women who are mothers. This focus does not refer exclusively to biological
motherhood.

My professional interests in this study have emerged from reading studies in
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organisational behaviour and dynamics ranging from the work of Schein (1973; 1975)
Fagenson (1990) and Long (1990) on manager characteristics to the works of
Hochschild (1989; 1997; 2003) and psychoanalytic studies of organisations (De Board
2002; Hirschhorn 1990; Hinshelwood and Skogstad 2000; Gabriel 2004). In particular,
research by Gutek (1993) and Walby (1990) on women working outside the home, to the
work of Hakim (1996; 2000) on working mothers have been instrumental in my
motivation to undertake this study.

From a reflexive position, my own life story has been equally influential in the choice of
study; in that I work in paid employment outside the home in parallel with my role as
mother of three children. As a social researcher, a woman, and a mother I am clearly
positioned from the outset as I approach this area of study. This is an important
phenomenon to which I will return later in discussions of self in the research process in
the summary of my research journal in Appendix 9.

This chapter will begin with an outline of the objectives of the study. For the purposes of
an introduction to the literature pertaining to the study, some of the themes evident in the
literature on women, mothers and work will be presented as have been explored by the
author.

Discussion will move to the reasons why this study needed to be undertaken. This
section makes a justification for a focus on working mothers and highlights the need to
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