Lifestyles

, Volume 10, Issue 4, pp 325–343 | Cite as

Social-psychological factors related to work status of rural women

  • Karen Fox Folk
  • Sharon Y. Nickols
  • Clandia J. Peck
Article
  • 84 Downloads

Abstract

The study reported here examines sex role attitudes, perceived needs, and work status using a sample of 400 rural women, aged 16 through 64. A combination of social-psychological, human capital, and economic factors best discriminates between employed workers and homemakers-unpaid workers. Employed rural women have more education, lower household income net of own earnings, greater psychological needs, and more approving husbands' attitudes than rural homemakers and unpaid workers. Unpaid workers are not significantly different from full-time homemakers in sex role attitudes, needs, age, religion, education, household income, and husbands' attitudes. These findings document the importance of social-psychological as well as economic factors in relation to rural women's work roles.

Key words

Husband's Attitude Labor Force Participation Psychological Needs Rural Women Sex Role Attitudes 

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Baruch, G., Barnett, R., & Rivers, C. (1983).Lifeprints: New patterns of love and work for today's women. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
  2. Betz, E. (1982). Need fulfillment in the career development of women.Journal of Vocational Behavior, 20, 53–66.Google Scholar
  3. Bokemeier, J., Sachs, C., & Keith, V. (1983). Labor force participation of metropolitan, nonmetropolitan, and farm women: A comparative study.Rural Sociology, 48, 515–539.Google Scholar
  4. Bokemeier, J., & Tickamyer, A. (1985). Labor force experiences of nonmetropolitan women.Rural Sociology, 50, 51–73.Google Scholar
  5. Brown, D., & O'Leary, J. (1979).Labor force activity of women in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan America (Rural Development Research Report No. 15 EAG233 R498). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture.Google Scholar
  6. Buttel, F., & Gillespie, G., Jr. (1984). The sexual division of farm household labor: An exploratory study of the structure of on-farm and off-farm labor allocation among farm men and women.Rural Sociology, 49, 183–209.Google Scholar
  7. Chenoweth, L., & Maret-Havens, E. (1978). Women's labor force participation—a look at some residential patterns.Monthly Labor Review, 101 (3), 38–41.Google Scholar
  8. Deseran, F., Falk, W., & Jenkins, P. (1984). Determinants of earnings of farm families in the U.S.Rural Sociology, 49, 210–229.Google Scholar
  9. Draughn, P., Little, L., Wozniak, P., Knaub, P., Weeks, O., & Smith, C. (1988). Multiple roles, lifestyle satisfaction, and marital happiness among farm wives.Home Economics Research Journal, 17, 63–76.Google Scholar
  10. Faver, C. (1982). Achievement orientation, attainment values, and women's employment.Journal of Vocational Behavior, 20, 67–80.Google Scholar
  11. Ferber, M. (1982). Labor market participation of young married women: Causes and effects.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 44, 457–468.Google Scholar
  12. Ferree, M. (1980). Working class feminism: A consideration of the consequences of employment.Sociological Quarterly, 21, 173–184.Google Scholar
  13. Frankel, J., Manogue, M., & Paludi, M. (1982). The employed mother: A new social norm?International Journal of Women's Studies, 5, 274–281.Google Scholar
  14. Fullerton, H., Jr., & Tschetter, J. (1983). The 1995 labor force: A second look.Monthly Labor Review, 106 (11), 3–10.Google Scholar
  15. Goble, F. (1970).The third force: The psychology of Abraham Maslow. New York: Washington Square Press.Google Scholar
  16. Gordon, H., & Kammeyer, K. (1980). The gainful employment of women with small children.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 42, 327–336.Google Scholar
  17. Greenstein, T. (1986). Social-psychological factors in perinatal labor-force participation.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 48, 565–571.Google Scholar
  18. Hanson, S. (1982). The effects of rural residence on the socio-economic attainment process of married females.Rural Sociology, 47, 91–113.Google Scholar
  19. Hanson, S. (1983). A family life-cycle approach to the socioeconomic attainment of working women.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 45, 323–338.Google Scholar
  20. Hayghe, H. (1986). Rise in mothers' labor force activity includes those with infants.Monthly Labor Review, 109 (2), 43–45.Google Scholar
  21. Heaton, C., & Martin, P. (1979). Labor force participation differs significantly for the rural woman.Monthly Labor Review, 102 (1), 71–73.Google Scholar
  22. Huber, J., & Spitze, G. (1981). Wives' employment, household behaviors, and sex-role attitudes.Social Forces, 60, 150–169.Google Scholar
  23. Johnson, R., & Wichern, D. (1982).Applied multivariate statistical analysis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar
  24. Keating, N., & Munro, B. (1988). Farm women/farm work.Sex Roles, 19, 155–168.Google Scholar
  25. Knaub, P., Abbott, D., Meredith, W., & Parkhurst, A. (1988). Perceptions of stress associated with wives' off-farm employment.Home Economics Research Journal, 17, 86–94.Google Scholar
  26. Knaub, P., Draughn, P., Wozniak, P., Little, L., Smith, C., & Weeks, O. (1988). Wives employed off the farm: Impact on lifestyle satisfaction.Home Economics Research Journal, 17, 36–46.Google Scholar
  27. Lichter, D., & Costanzo, J. (1987). Nonmetropolitan underemployment and labor-force composition.Rural Sociology, 52, 329–344.Google Scholar
  28. Little, L., Knaub, P., Wozniak, P., Draughn, P., Smith, C., & Weeks, O. (1988). Impact of women's off-farm employment on marital adjustment.Home Economics Research Journal, 17, 47–62.Google Scholar
  29. Lopata, H., & Norr, K. (1980). Changing commitments of American women to work and family roles.Social Security Bulletin, 43 (6), 3–14.Google Scholar
  30. Macke, A., Hudis, P., & Larrick, D. (1978). Sex-role attitudes and employment among women: Dynamic models of continuity and change.Women's changing roles at home and on the job.Proceedings of a conference on the National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Women (National Commission for Manpower Policy, Employment and Training Administration, Special Report No. 26, pp. 129–154). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.Google Scholar
  31. Maret, E., & Chenoweth, L. (1979). The labor force patterns of mature rural women.Rural Sociology, 44, 736–753.Google Scholar
  32. Mason, K., Czajka, J., & Arber, S. (1976). Change in U.S. women's sex-role attitudes, 1964–1974.American Sociological Review, 41, 573–596.Google Scholar
  33. Mason, K., & Lu, Y. (1988). Attitudes toward women's familial roles: Changes in the United States, 1977–1985.Gender and Society, 2, 39–57.Google Scholar
  34. McKenry, P., Hamdorf, K., Walters, C., & Murray, C. (1985). Family and job influences on role satisfaction of employed rural mothers.Psychology of Women Quarterly, 9, 242–257.Google Scholar
  35. Rexroat, C. (1985). Women's work expectations and labor-market experience in early and middle family life-cycle stages.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 47, 131–142.Google Scholar
  36. Scanzoni, J. (1978).Sex roles, women's work, and marital conflict: A study of family changes. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.Google Scholar
  37. Schaub, J. (1981).The nonmetro labor force in the seventies (Rural Development Research Report No. 33). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.Google Scholar
  38. Scholl, K. (1983). Farm women's triad of roles.Family Economics Review, (1), 10–15.Google Scholar
  39. Shapiro, D., & Shaw, L. (1983). Growth in labor force attachment of married women: Accounting for changes in the 1970s.southern Economic Journal, 50, 461–473.Google Scholar
  40. Smith-Lovin, L., & Tickamyer, A. (1978). Nonrecursive models of labor force participation, fertility behavior and sex role attitudes.American Sociological Review, 43, 541–557.Google Scholar
  41. Spitze, G., & Huber, J. (1982). Accuracy of wife's perception of husband's attitude toward her employment.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 44, 477–481.Google Scholar
  42. Spitze, G., & Waite, L. (1980). Labor force and work attitudes: Young women's early experiences.Sociology of Work and Occupations, 7, 3–32.Google Scholar
  43. Spitze, G., & Waite, L. (1981). Wives' employment: The role of husbands' perceived attitudes.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 43, 117–124.Google Scholar
  44. Thomson, E. (1980). The value of employment to mothers of young children.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 42, 551–566.Google Scholar
  45. Thornton, A., Alwin, D., & Camburn, D. (1983). Causes and consequences of sex-role attitudes and attitude change.American Sociological Review, 48, 211–227.Google Scholar
  46. Thornton, A., & Camburn, D. (1979). Fertility, sex role attitudes, and labor force participation.Psychology of Women Quarterly, 4, 61–80.Google Scholar
  47. Tienda, M. (1986). Industrial restructuring in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan labor markets: Implications for equity and efficiency. In M. S. Killian, L. F. Bloomquist, S. Pendleton, & D. A. McGranahan (Eds.),Symposium on rural labor markets research issues (ERS Staff Report No. AGES860721, pp. 33–70). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture.Google Scholar
  48. Walshok, M. (1978). Occupational values and family roles: A descriptive study of women working in blue-collar and service occupations.Urban and Social Change Review, 11 (1–2), 12–20.Google Scholar
  49. Walters, C., & McKenry, P. (1985). Predictors of life satisfaction among rural and urban employed mothers: A research note.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 47, 1067–1071.Google Scholar
  50. Wozniak, P., & Scholl, K. (1988). Employment decisions of farm couples: Full-time or part-time farming?Home Economics Research Journal, 17, 20–35.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Human Sciences Press 1989

Authors and Affiliations

  • Karen Fox Folk
    • 1
  • Sharon Y. Nickols
    • 1
  • Clandia J. Peck
    • 2
  1. 1.University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUSA
  2. 2.Oklahoma State UniversityUSA

Personalised recommendations