Preference or necessity? Changing work roles of black and white women, 1973-1990
1993
Herring, C. | Wilson-Sadberry, K.R.
This article investigates changes in the degree to which black and white women have participated in the labor market out of economic necessity versus preference for working outside the home. It finds that women's motivations for participating in the labor market began to converge toward those of men. Most working women from both racial groups reported that they participated in the labor force for reasons other than economic necessity alone. Changes in the role-performance motivations of black and white women cannot be assumed to be uniform, however, as black women were marginally more likely to participate in the labor market than their white counterparts. A number of correlates of labor force participation (e.g., marital status, number of children, family income, education, etc.) also distinguished among those staying home, those in the labor market out of necessity, and those working in the labor market by preference. Mother's work role, marital status, age, and region of residence also had dissimilar effects on the work statuses of black and white women. The findings point to the diversity of experiences in the work lives and orientations of different kinds of women.
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