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.”
Recommended Citation
Allen, Paige, "Intrinsically Career-Motivated Women & Motherhood" (2024). Honors College. 887.
https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/887