Career-oriented women's development as a mother: The correlation with the belief of "Maternal love"

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23730616
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Educational psychology
• Research Institution: Ehime University
• Principal Investigator: Egami Sonoko 愛媛大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (10451452)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-02-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: キャリア志向 / 「母性愛」信奉傾向 / 多重役割 / ワーク・ファミリー・バランス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined career women's change in their adherence to "maternal love" through both quantitative and qualitative analyses. First, a scale for adherence to "maternal love" was turned out to be broken into two factors. Next, investigation of changes in the two factors from the prenatal to postnatal period showed that the score for "sanctification of motherly love" increased post-partum, as first-time mothers and their discourse changed dramatically. In addition, first-time mothers' narratives generated some main themes, and they changed in the following contexts: change in their impression for adherence to "maternal love," evaluation of themselves as mothers, and redefinitions of their careers.

Free Research Field

発達心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで女性の産後離職の問題については、産休・育休制度などの職場環境や夫や親族によるサポートなどの環境的な要因に焦点が当てられてきた。そのような中で本研究は、キャリア志向の女性が自らの変化について振り返り、それによって自分のキャリアを再定義していく様子を描いた。女性の内面の変化や将来的な展望の捉え方について詳細に明らかにしたことで、環境的な条件だけではなく女性の内面の主観的な変化に寄り添うという姿勢が重要であると示せたことは意義があるといえよう。