This study of 40 New Zealand mothers explored their ideas, beliefs and values around the roles of mothers, parents and formal childcare in meeting the care needs of children, and how that relates to decisions about labour force participation for mothers. The study also provides information on the difficulties experienced by mothers in this study in combining paid work and parenting, and their perceptions of the roles of the Government and employers in relation to other provisions to assist parents in combining their dual roles of parent and paid worker.
These findings are supplemented by findings from a random sample survey of New Zealanders (Gendall 2003) on attitudes of New Zealand society in general towards mothers’ roles, and of a national random sample survey of parents on issues of work, family and parenting by the Ministry of Social Development (2006), published subsequent to this study being undertaken. The findings presented in this report are indicative of how New Zealand norms of motherhood, childcare and paid work may differ from those in various European countries, as presented by Pfau-Effinger (2004), which could contribute to policy development in this area for New Zealand.
Purpose
The aim of this qualitative study of 40 New Zealand mothers is to explore their ideas, beliefs and values around the roles of mothers, parents and formal childcare in meeting the care needs of children, and how that relates to decisions about labour force participation for mothers. The study also provides information on the difficulties experienced by mothers in this study in combining paid work and parenting, and their perceptions of the roles of the Government and employers in relation to other provisions to assist parents in combining their dual roles of parent and paid worker.
Methodology
The research comes from an interpretivist approach, which views social reality as constructed and negotiated and whose concern is to understand the world from the point of view of the participants in the research. The qualitative approach was used to enable an in-depth exploration of mothers’ beliefs about their roles and the reasons for their decisions in relation to paid work to supplement previous survey research (EEO Trust 2005; Gendall 2003). However, this previous research did not focus on the role of cultural norms of parenting/motherhood as factors in decision-making about labour force participation.
Qualitative interviews
Forty qualitative interviews of about one hour’s duration were carried out with mothers from around New Zealand from December 2005 to February 2006. The interviews took place at either the interviewee’s home or workplace and were audio-taped then later transcribed by a professional transcriber. Interviewees also completed a one-page questionnaire of their personal, family and employment characteristics.
Sampling method
Interviewees were randomly selected from those who indicated a willingness to be contacted by email for further research in an online survey on paid work and parenting by the EEO Trust carried out in August-September 2005 (n=4,475 of which 1,100 agreed to further research contact). An initial sample of 80 was randomly selected by computer and potential interviewees were approached by email with an information sheet setting out the purposes and requirements of the research. Those who were interested returned a signed consent form, or replied by email and completed the consent form at the interview.
Ethics
The research processes were peer reviewed for ethical compliance in line with Massey University Human Ethics Guidelines. This included informed consent using written information sheets outlining the research procedure and use of the resulting information, and voluntary participation. Participants also had to approve a copy of the transcription.
Analysis
A cross-case thematic analysis approach was used. Themes were identified both from the research aims and questions and, as they emerged, from the interviews. Both consistency and discrepancy of views and behaviours were noted and, where relevant, specific sub-group characteristics of interviewees were noted; for example, where there was consistency of views among rural mothers, or sole mothers, or those who were referring to their experience of parenting young children more than 10 years ago. However, the purpose of including a wide range of mothers from throughout New Zealand and using a qualitative approach was not to disaggregate findings by sub-groups, but to look for what was common to the experience of being a mother and a paid worker in New Zealand, regardless of individual characteristics, and what was not.
The approach was primarily descriptive, but in the discussion and conclusion links were drawn between the various aspects covered by the different research questions, such as the link between norms of motherhood, parenting and childcare, and decisions about paid work and the kind of supports needed from partners, other family, employers and government to assist women to be both mothers and paid workers.
Key Results
The ideal, as portrayed by participants in this study, would be for institutional and structural factors, such as government and workplace policies and practice in relation to financial assistance, childcare and flexible workplaces, to support cultural norms and preferences of parenting and paid work. That is, to allow parents real choice. The reality is that institutional and structural factors override cultural norms and preferences for many. While there have been initiatives in the right direction from both government and employers, this study indicates there is a need for more institutional and structural support from government and workplaces to enable New Zealand parents to more successfully combine parenting and paid work in a way that fits with the cultural norms of parenting and paid work that are emerging from this and other studies of the New Zealand context.
From mothers’ perspectives represented in this study, both men and women want to be both parents and paid workers, but often compromise their parenting role to fit into the structures of the world of paid work. Women particularly also often compromise their role in the workforce in order to combine their dual roles within the current structural framework. Other studies suggest men may be experiencing greater work-family conflict than women as they desire to be more involved with their families, or strive to meet changing expectations for them to do so, while their traditional role in the paid workforce is seen as less flexible than for women.