Dual-Careers: Implications for Career Counselors

By: Paul Crolley

Definitions

Dual-Career Families: “…families in which both partners work”

(Jordan, Cobb, & McCully, 1989)

Traditional-Career Families:Only one of the partners (typically the

husband) works while the other (typically the wife) stays at home as a home-maker

What is the difference between dual-career families,

a two-person career, and two-job families?

Dual-Career Family: Both partners focus intently on their respective careers

Two-Person Career Family: Both partners focus their efforts into the career of one of the

partners (usually the husband)

Two-Job Family: One partner (typically the husband) who pursues a career,

while the other (usually the wife) has a job that is secondary and serves to support the career of the partner

Cherpas, 1985

Dual-Career Families The Family as a System

Our different family members’ work roles and attitudes influence our perceptions

Marital Satisfaction Communication and work-view congruence

Cultural Considerations There are influencing factors and considerations unique to each person

Issues facing Dual-Career Families Expectations, role conflicts, child care options, & relationship factors

Implications for counseling Important issues for clinical application, such as referrals to couples

counseling

The Family as a System

Any system, whether a corporation, a city government, or a family, comprises interdependent elements that have interrelated functions and share common goals

Zunker, 2006

The family system is

embedded in larger social

systems

Zunker, 2006

Current Trends

More single adults Postponement of

marriage Fewer children More women working More divorce More single-parent

families More remarriages

The question to consider with these trends is: How will they affect the perceptions of life roles (like work)?

Interesting observations

Fathers involved in dual-career families are less prone to exhibit stereotypic behaviors (providing children with more positive parenting roles)

Children who observe their mother as economically independent, with choices and opportunities, can gain a perception of what women can do and achieve

Zunker, 2006

Marital Satisfaction

The level of marital satisfaction can be correlated to how well the partners are in agreement with their respective aspirations and attitudes

Marital Satisfaction

The way conflicts are expressed and negotiated and the manner in which resources are shared appear to be strong binding forces

Couples who have more traditional sex role attitudes tend to experience greater stress in a dual-career marriage

Zunker, 2006

Leve

l of

over

all m

arit

al s

atis

fact

ion

High

Low

Start of marriage

Birth of first child

Adolescence of children

Launching of children

Retirement from work

SOURCE: From Human development: A lifespan view, 3rd ed., by R.V. Kail/Cavanaugh, 2004.

Cultural Considerations As with any type of

counseling practice, practitioners should take into consideration each client’s cultural values and traditions

Cultural Considerations

Individualistic v. collectivist cultures In collectivist societies (Africans, Asians, and Hispanics) it is

expected that all family members contributes to its welfare -> individual aspirations are secondary

In Asian and Hispanic families, husbands typically are head of the family and the family usually maintains strong traditional roles, including stereotypical male-female relationships

Providing career counseling approaches that include family and family needs are often most effective

Zunker, 2006

The following can serve as a check list when evaluating potential conflicts with members of culturally diverse families: Effects of poverty (poor housing, lack of

transportation, and health care)

Country of origin (language barrier, work role perceptions, & view of government)

Circumstances if immigration (political oppression and lack of trust for gov. agencies)

Degree of acculturation (worldviews, conflicting messages of appropriate behavior, and perception of work role)

Spiritual beliefs (family roles, health care issues, and social activities)

Skin color (discrimination and exclusion from some work roles)

Poor self-esteem (depression, restriction of job choice, and interpersonal relationships)

Lack of trust of institutions (resist using agencies for assistance)

English fluency (restricted job choice and limited personal contacts)

Intergenerational family contacts (conflicts over parents’ view of appropriate behavior and contemporary views of the host country)

Lack of support in community (isolation and restricted community involvement)

Discrimination (feelings of oppression, isolation, and restricted career choice)

Socioeconomic status (exclusion of opportunities in life, work, and leisure)

Feelings of powerlessness (lack of direction and difficulty adjusting to new environment)

Goldberg and Goldberg, 2002

Issues Facing Dual-Career Families

Expectations and Intentions of Work and Family

Role Conflict Child Care Relationship factors Other personal factors

Expectations and Intentions of Work and Family

In a study of university students, Gilbert (1993) found that young women and men reared in dual-career families were highly committed to a role-sharing marriage

Roles can include employment, home, social, and family responsibilities Lack of agreement between expectations of roles in marriages has the potential

to create interpersonal conflicts (Silberstein, 1992; Goldenberg and Goldenberg, 2002)

Role overload typically occurs between spouses when family roles are not clearly defined If the husband’s occupational role is assumed to be primary, or if the wife views

the husband’s employment as a less important career, there is a greater potential for minimal sharing of household work

Zunker, 2006

Role Conflicts Generally is between family roles and work roles (family roles are

source of most role conflicts [i.e., with household chores]) Klinger (1988) developed a model designed to delegate household

tasks based on interests, aptitudes, and time available Part I – Formulate list of household tasks Part II – Agree on frequency of the tasks (daily, biweekly, etc.) Part III – Agree on person(s) responsible for each task

Taking into consideration each person’s available time, interest, and abilities (undesired tasks are rotated)

Part IV – Review of tasks to determine the following: A. Did the person(s) designated perform the task? B. Was the task viewed as satisfactorily completed? C. For “no” responses to questions A or B, what were the obstacles to completing the

task? D. What additional resources (time, money, people, objects) are needed to complete the

task successfully?

Part V – Recycle: add or delete tasks, change person(s) responsible, etc.

Child Care Since both partners are

working, couples with children need to explore child care options Options include: sitters, daycare, &

relatives

A major concern many parents have are the potential negative effects on children who attend day care centers Clark-Stewart’s (1993) research

indicates no difference in cognitive, linguistic, and social development in infants between day care and home settings

Zunker, 2006

Child Care

Many companies recognize the need to provide for child care and offer alternatives: Emergency Care (temporary care when regular arrangements fall through)

Discounts (arrangements with providers for reduced rates)

On-site day care

Companies have also developed family-oriented work policies designed to help dual-career families with child care responsibilities Telephone access (permits parents to make/take personal calls to children)

Parental leave (i.e., maternity leave)

Flexible work arrangements (part-time hours, job sharing, flexible place [telecommuting])

Zunker, 2006

Relationship Factors

Zunker, 2006

A pivotal point in some dual-career families is a geographical relocation to enhance of the partner’s career What kind of things go through your mind at the prospect of moving to

another city in this situation? Competition can also be associated due to a need to achieve and

be recognized Important to consider because feelings of competition might not be

expressed directly but could result in debates about other things Another key aspect in the decision-making process – more

specifically, who is empowered to make decisions. Its important to reach mutual agreement no both major and minor

decisions to avoid one of the partners feeling treated unjustly

Relationship Factors

Accommodators One partner’s career

involvement is the highest priority and home involvement is the lowest; the other partner has the opposite commitment

Traditional-career families

Adversaries Both parties give highest

commitment to career pursuits This type usually leads to

competition to achieve and conflicts over child care

Zunker, 2006

Relationship Factors Allies

Both partners are strongly committed to advancing their careers and home roles

Satisfaction and fulfillment primarily comes from a happy family and home life

But primary focus is on the career, which can lead to not having children (or having fewer)

Acrobats Both partners are also actively committed to

career and home roles – are more successful at it (they want it all and go all out to become high achievers, have happy children, attend social events, and go to prestigious places for vacations)

They work in harmony to achieve their goals but are not surprisingly subject to work overload

Zunker, 2006

Other Personal Factors The need to dominate is a personality factor that

influences how partners combine occupational and family roles Typically, a dominating partner expects the other to take a

secondary role in career aspirations The stages of career development of both partners are

also important considerations Ex., one partner might have reached the point where career has

become secondary in life’s priorities, and, as a result, might not support the other partner’s career advancement

Other personal factors could make one partner resist accepting nontraditional roles to provide time for the other partner’s career efforts Little support is offered in way of role sharing

Zunker, 2006

Implications for Career Counseling

One major problem is gender equity Subtleties of male

dominance often present in dual-career marriages often lead couples to deal with anxiety indirectly

Women might be searching for equity, while men fear giving up power

Major decision points are crucial in any marriage, but even more so with dual-careers Ex., when (or if) to have

children, or as mentioned before, relocating for a position

Zunker, 2006

Couples Counseling

In many cases, intervention strategies should include collaboration with couples counseling In conjunction with couples counseling, the career

counselor can provide: Role-sharing strategies Leisure time commitments, including family leisure time Restatement of career goals (centering on plans for the

future) Career development of children as a sharing venture Reformulation of lifespan goals

Zunker, 2006

Summary

About 12% of married women with children under age 6 worked outside the home in 1950; the figure increased by the early 1990s to 57% and to 62% in 2000

Dual-career families is a growing trend in our society and as practitioners we need to be mindful of the factors, values, and attitudes influencing clients seeking our assistance