Partnership satisfaction of women with academic careers
Abstract
The article examines the level of partnership satisfaction of women working in academia. It is based on part of a wider-ranging research project. The main aim of the research presented here is to examine the degree of satisfaction in existing partnerships, its components and those areas of partnership satisfaction which are subjectively perceived as important. Moreover, the study explores the subjective opinion of women on adjustment in their partnership and on the overall relationship quality as judged by their demanding occupation. As far as the research design is concerned, a concurrent nested strategy was used with an emphasis on qualitative methodology (Cresswell, 2003). The main methods of data collection were semi-structured interviews, supplemented by a quantitative Dyadic Adjustment Scale. The research sample consisted of 32 women aged between 30 and 52, who have been working in academia for a minimum of three years and who have been living in a stable relationship for at least 3 years. Partial results show that women who are satisfied in their partnership share the same values, way of thinking and interests with their partner. Factors such as mutual respect and striving to find a compromise produce a positive impact on the relationship. The negative aspects of partnership satisfaction include a critical inability to accept the career success by the partner, excessive individualism and domination on the side of the woman and negative incidents in the life of partners. As the researched theme is highly topical, the results obtained may assist in further developing psychological consulting aimed towards women with similarly demanding occupations.
https://doi.org/10.29364/epsy.209
(Fulltext in Czech)
Keywords
women in academia, partnership satisfaction, gender, dual career marriageLiterature
Benokraitis, N. J. (2012). Marriages and families. Changes, choices and constraints (7th Ed.). Prentice Hall: Pearson Education.
Bierzová, J. (2006). Rozdělení domácích prací a péče o děti. In A. Křížková, H. Maříková, H. Hašková, & J. Bierzová, Pracovní a rodinné role a jejich kombinace v životě českých rodičů: plány versus realita (19–26). Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR.
Clark, S. C. (2001). Work cultures and work/family balance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 58(3), 348–365.
Coser, R. L., & Rokoff, G. (1971). Women in the occupational world: Social disruption and conflict. Social Problems, 18(4), 535–554.
Cresswell, J. W. (2003). Research design. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Čermáková, M., Hašková, H., Křížková, A., Linková, M., & Maříková, H. (2002). Podmínky harmonizace práce a rodiny v ČR. Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR.
Čermáková, M., Maříková, H., Šanderová, J., & Tuček, M. (2000). Proměny současné české rodiny. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství.
Červinková, A. (2007). Na vědecké dráze: příští zastávka „rodičovství“. In K. Šaldová (Ed.), Cesty labyrintem: o vědecké profesi, soukromém životě a jejich propojování (26–35). Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR.
Decarli Valdrová, J., et al. (2004). ABC feminismu. Brno: Nesehnutí.
Dudová, R. (2006). Partnerský život a slaďování práce a rodiny v páru u žen a mužů v manažerských pozicích. Gender, rovné příležitosti, výzkum, 7(2), 58–62. Fajmonová, V. (2009). Psychologické aspekty dvoukariérového manželství. Nepublikovaná diplomová práce. Olomouc: Univerzita Palackého.
Fox, M. F., Fonseca, C., & Bao, J. (2011). Work and family conflict in academic science: Patterns and predictors among women and men in research universities. Social Studies of Science, 41(5), 715–735.
Gareis, K. C., Barnett, R. Ch., Ertel, K. A., & Berkman, L. F. (2009). Work-family enrichment and conflict: Additive effects, buffering, or balance? Journal of Marriage and Family, 71, 696–707.
Gilbert, L. A. (1993). Two careers/one family: The promise of gender equality. Newbury Park: Sage Publications.
Gröpel, P. (2006). Rovnováha životných oblastí vo vzťahu k naplnenosti potrieb a spokojnosti so životom. Československá psychologie, 50, 71–83.
Gröpel, P. (2007). On the theory of life balance. Saarbrücken: VDM Verlag.
Gröpel, P., & Dovičovičová, K. (2012). Pracovná flexibilita ako nástroj zvyšovania rovnováhy životných oblastí: Je flexibilita vhodná naozaj pre každého? Československá psychologie, 56, 56–63.
Gröpel, P., & Kuhl, J. (2009). Work-life balance and subjective well-being: The mediating role of need fulfilment. British Journal of Psychology, 100, 365–375.
Hakim, C. (2000). Work – lifestyle choices in the 21stcentury. Preference theory. Oxford: University Press.
Hall, D. (1972). A model of coping with role conflict. Administrative Science Quarterly, 17, 471–486.
Hall, S. S., & MacDermid, S. M. (2009). A quantitative typology of dual-earner couples: Unanswered questions about circumstances, motivations, and outcomes. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 30, 215–225.
Hartmut, K. (2006). Ženy – muži: Genderové role, jejich původ a vývoj. Praha: Portál.
Havelková, H. (2007). Problém takzvané harmonizace: náprava nezamýšlených důsledků moderní společnosti. In K. Šaldová (Ed.), Cesty labyrintem: o vědecké profesi, soukromém životě a jejich propojování (10–17). Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR.
Hendl, J. (2008). Kvalitativní výzkum. Základní teorie, metody a aplikace. Praha: Portál.
Hochschild, A. (1997). The time bind: When work becomes home and home becomes work. New York: Metropolitan Books.
Hochschild, A., & Machung, A. (2012). The second shift. Working families and the revolution at home. New York: Penguin Books.
Holmstrom, L. L. (1972). The two-career family. Cambridge: Schenkman.
Jacobs, J. A., & Winslow, S. E. (2004). The academic life course, time pressures and gender inequality. Community, Work & Family, 7(2), 143–161.
Křížková, A. (2002). Životní strategie manažerek: případová studie. Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR.
Křížková, A., & Helšusová, L. (2002). Sociální kontext žen pracujících v řídících pozicích: analýza odlišnosti životních postojů a názorů mužů a žen v české společnosti v závislosti na jejich pracovním postavení. Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR.
Lee, Ch.-Y. S., & Doherty W. J. (2007). Marital satisfaction and father involvement during the transition to parenthood. Fathering, 5(2), 75–96.
Linková, M. (2007). Instituce, vědní politiky a gender, aneb jak se z jasně narýsované cesty stává labyrint. In K. Šaldová (Ed.), Cesty labyrintem: o vědecké profesi, soukromém životě a jejich propojování (18–25). Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR.
Minnotte, K., Minnotte, M., Pedersen, D., Mannon, S., & Kiger, G. (2010). His and her perspectives: Gender ideology, work-to-family conflict, and marital satisfaction. Sex Roles, 63(5/6), 425–438.
Miovský, M. (2006). Kvalitativní přístup a metody v psychologickém výzkumu. Praha: Grada Publishing.
Mullen, J., Kelley, E., & Kelloway, E. K. (2008). Health and well-being outcomes of the work-family interface. In K. Karabik, D. S. Lero, & D. L. Whitehead (Eds.), Handbook of work-family integration. Research, theory and best practices (191–214). London: Academic Press.
Netemeyer, R. G., Boles, J. S., & McMurrian, R. (1996). Development and validation of work-family conflict and family-work conflict scales. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81, 400–410.
O’Boyle, C. A., McGee, H., Joyce, C. R. B. (1994). Quality of life: assessing the individual. In G. L. Albrecht, & R. Fitzpatrick, R., Advances in Medical Sociology. Duality of life in health care (159–180). Greenwich: JAI Press.
Olson, D. H., & Olson A. K. (2000). Empowering couples: Building on your strengths. Minneapolis: Life Innovations.
Pepitone-Rockwell, F. (1980). Dual career couples. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications.
Plaňava, I. (1994). Komponenty a procesy fungující rodiny a manželství. Československá psychologie, 38, 1–14.
Rapoport, R., & Rapoport, R. N. (1969). The dual-career family: a variant pattern and social change. Human Relations, 22, 3–29.
Rapoport, R., & Rapoport, R. N. (1976). Dual Career Families Re-examined. London: Martin Robertson & Company Ltd.
Rusbult, C., Verette, J., Whitney, G., Slovick, L., & Lipkis, I. (1991). Accommodation process in close relationships: Theory and preliminary empirical evidence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 53–78.
Rusbult, C. (1993). Understanding responses to dissatisfaction in close relationships: The exit, voice, loyalty and neglect model. In S. Worchel & J. Simpson (Eds.), Conflict between people and groups: Causes, processes, and resolutions (30–59). Chicago: Nelson-Hall.
Spanier, G. B. (1976). Measuring dyadic adjustment: New scales for assessing the quality of marriage and similar dyads. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 38, 15–28.
Spanier, G. B. (2001). Dyadic adjustment scale. User´s manual. Toronto: MHS.
Stanley, S. M. (2007). Assessing couple and marital relationships: Beyond form and toward a deeper knowledge of function. In L. M. Casper, & S. L. Hoffereth (Eds.), Handbook of measurement issues in family research (85–100). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum & Associates.
Šaldová, K. (Ed.) (2007). Cesty labyrintem: O vědecké profesi, soukromém životě a jejich propojování. Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR.
Tupá, B. (Ed.). (2007). Dámský gambit: Zahájení akademické dráhy. Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR.
Vohlídalová, M. (2006). Pracovní život a partnerské rozchody. Socioweb: sociologický webzin [online], 12, 5–7. [cit. 2013–12–05]. ISSN 1214–1720. Dostupné z: <http://www.socioweb.cz/index.php?…>.
Vohlídalová, M. (2011). „Není možné přerušit práci a říct, že tady 4 roky nebudu“: o strategiích kombinace práce a rodičovství ve vědecké profesi. Socioweb: sociologický webzin [online], 9, 3–4. [cit. 2013–12–05]. ISSN 1214–1720. Dostupné z: <http://www.socioweb.cz/index.php?…>.
Voydanoff, P. (2005). Toward a conceptualization of perceived work-family fit and balance: A demands and resources approach. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67, 822–836.
Wyss, V. L., & Tai, R. H. (2010). Conflicts between graduate study in science and family life. College Student Journal, 44(2), 475–491.
Yogev, S. (1982). Happiness in dual career couples: Changing research, changing values. Sex Roles, 8(6), 593–605.
Zbíralová, B. (2003). Psychologická analýza profesní a mateřské role ženy. Nepublikovaná diplomová práce. Olomouc: Univerzita Palackého.
Zhao, J., Settles, B. H., & Sheng, X. (2011). Family-to-work conflict: Gender, equity and workplace policies. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 42(5), 723–738.