A study of psychosocial support for career process and re-employment of mothers with young children.

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25780385
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Educational psychology
• Research Institution: Ochanomizu University
• Principal Investigator: MATSUURA Motoko お茶の水女子大学, 学校教育研究部, 講師 (80571489)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: キャリア / 女性 / 再就職 / 両立支援 / ワーキングマザー / ワーク・ファミリー・バランス / 育児期 / 離職

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study was to investigate the psychosocial factors that are related to Women’s career process, and to clarify the factors for keeping the balance of work and family during child-rearing years. For this study, I divided mothers by their career pattern, making 3 focus groups: ‘continue’, ‘reemployed’, ‘housewife’. An individual interview to analyze each mother’s narrative (qualitative), and a questionnaire with various factors of maternal employment (quantitative) were conducted. As a result, attitude toward gender role division of labor, responsibility for household chores and child-rearing, and career expectations toward husbands were promotional factors for quitting jobs and prevention factors for reemployment. Moreover, although the mother who returned to workforce chose the job which was easier for balancing home and work, her well-being score was low, and preferred a better job. These results suggest the need for long-term support for reemployed mothers.

Free Research Field

心理学