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Parental Strains and Rewards Among Mothers: The Role of Education
Author(s) -
Nomaguchi Kei M.,
Brown Susan L.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of marriage and family
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.578
H-Index - 159
eISSN - 1741-3737
pISSN - 0022-2445
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2011.00835.x
Subject(s) - anxiety , developmental psychology , captivity , meaning (existential) , psychology , child rearing , social psychology , archaeology , psychiatry , psychotherapist , history
Using data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development ( N = 1,198), this study examines the associations between education and parental strains and rewards among mothers of young children. Findings indicate that a college degree or more is related to less parenting anxiety, but more role captivity, and less new life meaning from parenting than lower levels of education. Differences by education are partly explained by variation in levels of progressive parenting values and work commitment, but remain significant. These patterns indicate that education provides greater resources that ease parental anxiety, but also leads to greater perceived demands of having a successful career, which contribute to more role captivity and less new life meaning from parenting.