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Situating Work–Family Negotiations Within a Life Course Perspective: Insights on the Gendered Experiences of NCAA Division I Head Coaching Mothers

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Abstract

Despite the progress women have made since the inception of Title IX, many still face discrimination in the sport workplace. Given the assumption that time-use is gendered, the traditional culture of US intercollegiate sport stands in sharp contrast to the evolving notion of work-life balance. This study employed a qualitative life course perspective to examine the experiences of seventeen head coach mothers in NCAA institutions. Results focus on the participants’ historical/social context, biography, relationships, interplay between these factors, and most importantly the role of administrators as life linkages. The results suggest that it is insufficient for managers to view the employee in isolation or to neglect the organizational culture in athletics. Supervisor attention to this, while time and effort-intensive, can impact employee well-being.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, 2095 Hillside Road, Unit 1110, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA

    Jennifer E. Bruening

  2. University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA

    Marlene A. Dixon

Authors
  1. Jennifer E. Bruening
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  2. Marlene A. Dixon
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jennifer E. Bruening.

Appendix A: Interview Guide

Appendix A: Interview Guide

Individual Interview Guide

  1. 1.

    What was your family situation as your grew up? Number of kids, parents’ employment, sport involvement.

  2. 2.

    Trace your college and post-college athletic participation and career path for me.

  3. 3.

    Where did family enter into the mix? Timing, number of children, etc.

  4. 4.

    What does your spouse/partner do for a living?

  5. 5.

    How do the two of you manage the day-to-day balancing of work and family? Who helps? What helps?

  6. 6.

    How is this working? Are you doing the things you want to do at work? As a spouse/partner? With your family?

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Bruening, J.E., Dixon, M.A. Situating Work–Family Negotiations Within a Life Course Perspective: Insights on the Gendered Experiences of NCAA Division I Head Coaching Mothers. Sex Roles 58, 10–23 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-007-9350-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-007-9350-x

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