Many working mothers feel tremendous guilt about not giving enough time to their children. However, new research shows that this feeling is unfounded.
Researchers at Harvard Business School analyzed data from more than two dozen countries from major surveys conducted in 2002 and 2012. It turned out that compared to the daughters of housewives (66%), the daughters of working mothers work more often (69%), in addition, they work more hours a week, earn an average of 6% more and are more likely to be in high positions – in 22% of cases compared to 18%. At the same time, they spend less time on household chores. “I believe that girls, looking at their working mothers, learn certain ideas about how they should behave in the future,” said study lead author Professor Kathleen McGinn (Kathleen McGinn).
What about the boys? The fact that my mother was busy with work had no effect on their future employment. However, the sons of working mothers turn out to be more caring towards their loved ones, and are also ready to perform household duties – they devote more time to this than the sons of housewives.
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The data for the study were taken from international sociological studies that were conducted in 25 countries. Respondents were asked, in particular, whether their mother worked at a time when the children were under 14 years of age. The correlation found is more true in countries where public opinion about the role of women in society is divided – such as Israel or the United States, as well as in countries with more conservative views on the role of women in society – Mexico and Russia. In countries where women’s equality is widely recognized, such as the Scandinavian countries, women’s choice of work or family has little effect on the future of children.
“Many working mothers reproach themselves, believing that the children would be better off if they were at home all the time. But our results show that children are much more useful if the mother spends some time at work, ”Kathleen McGinn sums up.
Подробнее см. К. McGinn et al. «Mums the word! Cross-national effects of maternal employment on gender inequalities at work and at home», Harward Business School,June 2015.