Kmec’s research found that mothers show the exact same level of “pro-work” behaviors as fathers and childless men and women do. In fact, mothers are actually more engaged at work and work more intensely than working fathers. In a recent presentation to the Redesigning/Redefining Work group at Stanford's Clayman Institute for Gender Research, Kmec highlighted the danger of the cultural biases that assume mothers are less committed to their work — biases that create real inequalities for working mothers.
Three bias-busting findings
Working mothers continue to feel the negative impact of the stereotypes about their work output and commitment. Kmec’s findings challenge three widely-held cultural biases about working mothers:
Myth 1: Mothers put in less effort at work than fathers and non-parents.
Contrary to beliefs that working mothers' efforts are split between work and home while on the job, Kmec found no difference in mothers’ reported work effort compared to that of fathers and childless workers; this was measured on a 1-10 scale, from “no thought and effort” to “very much thought and effort.” Additionally, mothers are not more likely to report their responsibilities at home reduce the effort put in at work. In fact, she notes most mothers seem to have “adapted their home demands to meet and sometimes exceed their employers’ needs, even though they spend more time doing household chores than fathers.”
Myth 2: Mothers are distracted at work, ever-consumed by thoughts of their children.
Compared to fathers, mothers are more engaged at work, and work more intensely. For example, mothers more often than fathers reported that they “get so involved in [their] work that [they] forget about everything else, even the time.” This is counter to the stereotype that working mothers constantly have “kids on the brain,” which distracts them from their work. Mothers also report that their home life “relaxes and readies them for work” at equal rates to fathers. In other words, Kmec argues, mothers perform well at work, “without, as employers fear, being mentally at home with children.”
Myth 3: Family responsibilities motivate fathers — but not mothers — to work hard.
To the contrary, mothers and fathers are equally motivated by their family responsibilities to provide financially for their households. Men and women are equally responsive to their breadwinning burden. With more than 25.2 million moms in the labor force, and 67.5% of them working full-time, Kmec's findings debunk the myth that these working mothers are not motivated to provide for their families.
However ... working mothers make personal sacrifices for work and family
A puzzle arises from these findings: we know that women shoulder the majority of childrearing responsibilities, so how do they manage to keep up equal pro-work behaviors? Mothers make adjustments in two key ways: making an effort to work better and harder, and giving up leisure time.
Kmec suggest that mothers likely perceive that their employers hold them to higher standards than fathers are held to, and, fearing negative consequences for letting their family responsibilities show, mothers put in tremendous work to balance all their responsibilities. Interestingly, recent research suggests that family responsibilities may actually help women at work, giving mothers practice at workplace-relevant skills such as multi-tasking, focus, organization, and creativity.
Second, many mothers simply give up leisure time — something fathers do not do as extensively. While this trade-off allows mothers to avoid having their home demands take away from their work responsibilities, it creates another form of inequality: gender differences in how much time mothers and fathers have to care for themselves.
Confronting biased cultures in the workplace
While Kmec’s research shows that the working mother biases do not appear to be based on actual worker behavior, these biases are very real in their consequences. They impact career possibilities and payment for both mothers and for women whom employees presume will become mothers in the future. Kmec argues that the persistence of these biases requires implementing policies that directly address motherhood bias. Specifically, employers need to design policies that ban differential treatment on the bases of family responsibilities. Additionally, the cultural beliefs about the “ideal worker” that seem more in line with men’s behaviors need to be dismantled within organizations.
Kmec asks, “are motherhood penalties and fatherhood bonuses warranted?” She finds “no behavioral reasons for such treatment of mothers and fathers in the workplace. Employers are incorrect in their assumptions that mothers will put in less at work than men or be distracted by thoughts of home and children.” The first step is recognizing that the assumptions we share about “working mothers” are far removed from actual worker behavior.
---
**Julie Kmec is an Associate Professor of sociology at Washington State University and is a member of the Clayman Institute’s working group on Redesigning/Redefining Work. More information on this research can be found in Kmec’s 2011 article, “Are motherhood penalties and fatherhood bonuses warranted? Comparing pro-work behaviors and conditions of mothers, fathers, and non-parents,” published in the journal Social Science Research.
*Erin Cech was a 2011-12 Postdoctoral Scholar at the Clayman Institute and is now an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Rice University.
Pages: 1 · 2
More Articles
- Oppenheimer: July 28 UC Berkeley Panel Discussion Focuses On The Man Behind The Movie
- Shhhhhh by Ferida Wolff
- Federal Reserve Issues A Federal Open Market Committee Statement: Committee Will Aim to Achieve Inflation Moderately Above 2% For Some Time
- Biden-Harris Administration Marks Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act and Announces Resources to Support Individuals with Long COVID, Increased Access to Democracy for Voters with Disabilities
- Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act; Chair Jerome H. Powell Before the Committee on Financial Services, House of Representatives
- Jo Freeman Reviews Stories from Trailblazing Women Lawyers: Lives in the Law by Jill Norgren
- Chair Jerome H. Powell: A Current Assessment of the Response to the Economic Fallout of this Historic Event
- Federal Reserve: Optimism in the Time of COVID; Businesses Seem Much Better Adapted to Remaining Open
- Supreme Court Surprises The Public in LGBTQ Ruling: What is Sex Discrimination?
- Margaret Cullison: Cooking with Grandchildren Including Inauguration Cookies, Orange Julius and Chocolate Birthday Cake