Objectives
Objectives - What do we want to explore?
There are a number of themes which will be explored within the research: opinions on family-friendly legislation and government efforts to address the work-life balance issue; women's own experiences of coping with working and caring; and women's opinions on motherhood, careers and getting on at work. The research also wants to take an in-depth look at women's career histories and how they have combined working and mothering throughout their lives.
Ultimately the research aims to obtain an in-depth picture of women's working and caring lives and to examine if the legislation can help women manage work and family, as well as its potential for removing some of the barriers to employment progression.
Who do we want to talk to?
We want to make sure that the research includes women from a diverse range of backgrounds and occupations as we feel that where women work, the positions they hold, the hours they work, their family circumstances and where they live will influence to some degree how they feel about issues of working and caring. In addition, we are also keen to talk to minority ethnic women who again my have differential experiences of ‘work-life balance'.
We're using in-depth interviews to explore women's experiences and as it would not be possible to cover the whole of the country in one project we are focusing our fieldwork on London, the Southeast and the Northwest of England. We feel that although crude stereotypes exist in relation to notions of the ‘North-South divide', it is impossible to ignore that there are cultural and economic differences between the two regions which may affect women's working and caring experiences. In addition, we feel this will be especially in evidence in London, which is the richest regional economy in the country but also demonstrates extreme polarizations between rich and poor.
As a result we are looking to interview a large sample of women from these regions who work across a range of occupations, within a variety of positions in the public, private and voluntary sectors.
Would you like to take part?
Many women are now working as well as looking after children and home and it can be hard work coping with both. We are a team of researchers based at John Moores University in Liverpool carrying out a project into work-life balance and the ways that women manage to juggle work and family commitments and how they feel about these issues. We'd also want to know what women's opinions are on the ‘family–friendly' legislation, which was introduced in April 2003.
At the moment we're looking for women from all backgrounds who would be prepared to be interviewed as part of the research. If you're currently working and have children fourteen or under and want to get involved or if you would like more information about the research contact us at the details below. We also realise that this situation is so much harder for lone parents and we want to ensure that their experiences are fully included in the research and are keen for single women with children to get in touch with the project.
Louise Wattis - Research Officer
Combining Work and Family Life:
Removing the Barriers to Women's Progression
Liverpool JMU
School of Social Science
Clarence Street
Liverpool L3 5UG
Phone: +44 (0) 151 231 3610
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