Young women’s expectations on work-family reconciliation : Straddling both life domains

Abstract

In this presentation, I focus on the preliminary findings of my first PhD article. The aim of this study is to analyse the expectations young Finnish women have about work-family reconciliation and to find out whether their expectations and solutions to potential challenges of work-family reconciliation differ between women who differ in educational background and life situation. The data comprise individual and focus group interviews (N=30; N=3;8) with Finnish women aged 18-27 years. The time line method was applied in the individual interviews and vignette was used in the focus group interviews. The participants included lower and higher educated women and unemployed women. The preliminary findings show that while expectations concerning motherhood are in general positive, motherhood is also regarded as demanding. Family life with children is linked to challenges in wellbeing, use of time and economic security. The choice to stay childless is related to ideological and health issues and seeing life with children as unfamiliar. The unemployed women reported feelings of uncertainty about finding a job and coping with work pressures. In sum, the young women's expectations and solutions indicate that they are aware of the challenges related to work-family reconciliation.