Document Type

Honors Thesis

Major

Sociology

Advisor(s)

Daniel Puhlman

Committee Members

Brian Pitman, Michael Haedicke, Elizabeth Neiman

Graduation Year

May 2024

Publication Date

Spring 5-2024

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to identify whether maternal regret was present among career-oriented mothers and understand how intrinsically-career motivated women experience motherhood. Data from 20 qualitative interviews with working mothers were analyzed with modified grounded theory and strategies using open, axial, and selective coding. The study identified four themes and fifteen associated subthemes that represent working mothers’ experiences: qualities, skills, conditions, and resources. These themes and the theoretical frames of Bowen’s family systems theory, rational choice theory, and intersectionality led to several implications for working mothers. While it is possible to contribute to both work and family, experiences in motherhood are made easier largely by conditions and resources. Additionally, there is a significant misalignment of social expectations of working mothers to what they can accomplish. It should be possible for mothers to commit to work and family without the expectation to “do it all.”

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