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Low‐income and Middle‐class Mothers Gendered Work and Family Schemas
Author(s) -
Hennessy Judith
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/soc4.12333
Subject(s) - middle class , schema (genetic algorithms) , sociology , welfare , gender studies , work (physics) , paid work , low income , class (philosophy) , social psychology , psychology , demographic economics , socioeconomics , political science , economics , law , mechanical engineering , machine learning , artificial intelligence , computer science , engineering
Conflict between the demands of paid work and motherhood has been studied primarily from the experience of middle‐class and professional mothers in dual‐earner families. Recently, with the reform of welfare, a number of studies have focused on the problems of poor mothers in meeting the demands of paid employment and caring for children. This article explores the moral discourse of judgments about paid work and motherhood and how this differs for low‐income and married middle‐class women. It reviews research that considers why poor single mothers are seen as irresponsible when they leave work due to family demands when professional and middle‐class married mothers are seen as acting selflessly. It examines how gendered schema differentially influences the work and family choices of married middle‐class and professional mothers compared to poor and low‐income mothers.