Managing the family`s health: preferences and experiences of women with different work and family arrangements.

Balancing the needs of work and family is a subject of much debate.The purpose of this research was to explore how families manage their children's health within the context of different work and family arrangements.In-depth interviews were conducted with women who were at home full time (8) or in paid work over 30 hours a week (7). Women had at least one child under the five years of age. Findings revealed there was no simple relationship between women's working arrangements and how they managed their children's health. All women, irrespective of their working arrangements, held similar preferences for managing their children's health.However, most women experienced either time or financial constraints that meant they had to compromise their original preferences. In some cases this meant children missed out on receiving health services. Workplace support, extended family support and general satisfaction with work and family arrangements appeared to be important factors for the small number of women who had no problems in managing their children's health. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Work and recreational changes among people with neurological illness and their caregivers

Background. Progressive neurological illnesses alter the health and well-being of people who experience them, and frequently lead to changes in the activities of both patients and their carers.

Purpose. The current study investigated changes in work and recreational activities among people with four of these illnesses.

Method. In total, the following numbers of people with neurological illnesses and their carers participated in the study: 28 with multiple sclerosis; 27 with motor neurone disease; 31 with Parkinson's; and 24 with Huntingtons disease. In addition, 28 professionals who worked with these populations participated in the study. Individual interviews were conducted with each of the above respondents to determine the impact of the neurological illness.

Results. The results demonstrated a high level of agreement from each of the participants. Most of the people with the illnesses and many of the carers had reduced their level of paid work. Generally, all groups of respondents perceived these changes as being negative. Changes in recreational activities were also seen to be primarily negative.

Conclusions. These results are discussed in terms of proposed prevention and intervention programmes to prepare patients and their carers for the changes that result from the neurological illness, strategies to stay at work longer and to help them develop alternative strategies to assist them in filling the gap left in their lives that was previously occupied by paid work.

Returning to work: exploring the experiences of women with acute coronary syndromes

Aims: The aim of this study was to explore the transition experiences of Australian women in resuming paid employment after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) event. Background: Until recently cardiovascular research has focused predominantly on men but this is changing and research exploring women’s experiences of ACS has increased. Despite knowing that many women do not resume paid employment following an ACS event, little is known about the experience of those women who do, even though it is understood that returning to the previous level of employment after an ACS event is a positive outcome. Design: An exploratory qualitative approach underpinned by naturalistic inquiry was undertaken. Methods: A purposive sample of seven women who had experienced their first ACS event 12 months ago was selected. Each woman was interviewed using a semi–structured format and their interviews were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of the transcript set and conceptual mapping were employed to formulate key themes. Findings: All women (mean age 52.6 years) resumed paid employment at various stages during their recovery, but reported similar transition processes. Three key themes representing this process were identified: primary motivation; influence through guidance and support; and resuming paid employment. Conclusions: Study findings revealed that these women required substantial support from family, friends and employers, with ongoing guidance from health professionals to return to paid work. The time frames for their return varied and some modified their roles within the workforce to enable them to return to paid work. However, formal cardiac rehabilitation did not appear to have a significant impact on these participants' decisions to return to work. They felt that more information about this decision may have been helpful if given at the time of cardiac rehabilitation.

Measuring work-study engagement in built environment undergraduate education in Australia

The cost of accessing higher education is expensive causing students to juggle the demands of paid work with study responsibilities. Whilst some work can be beneficial to student leaning this research seeks a more accurate understanding of why students undertake paid experience work to the level that they do. This paper examines the extent of work and study during an undergraduate program in construction at RMIT University Australia. Students responded to a questionnaire on the duration and nature of their work and study times. The results indicate that students who were involved in paid work do in excess of 20 hours per week, whist also enrolled as full-time undergraduates. The results of the study show that students in the early years of the program seem to be more engaged with study and spent slightly less time at work. This is contrasted with students in the final two years of the course spend considerable more time in paid work and less time undertaking study.
The paper concludes by suggesting that the results are partly the result of the unstructured work-experience requirements that occur from about year 3 of the program. Students who were encouraged by the university to undertake paid work-experience appeared to be increasingly disinterested in connecting with the broader university experience.

Pathways to industry : work practices of undergraduate students in construction programs in Australia

This research reports the impact of work on undergraduate students enrolled in construction programs. Students responded to a questionnaire on the nature of their paid work while enrolled in full-time study in six universities across Australia. The results indicate that students are working on average 19 hours per week during semester time. The results indicate that students in the early years tend to undertake casual work that is not related to their degree. However, this pattern changes in the later years of the program, where students switch to roles in construction that does relate to their coursework. The students start working on average 16 hours in the first year of their degree, and the number rises to 24 hours in their final year. Past research suggests that students may be working to an extent beyond what is considered beneficial to their studies. Past research has shown that working long hours has a negative effect on the study patterns of undergraduate students. The implications of the amount of time working and the type of work are discussed. The paper concludes by suggesting that universities need a greater awareness of the impact of paid employment on student engagement.

Work and study in construction education : practices of undergraduate students in Australia

Purpose of this paper The aim of this paper is to determine the amount of time construction management students spend engaged in paid work and study during semester time. Past research has shown that working long hours has a negative effect on the study patterns of undergraduate students.

Design/methodology/approach Students responded to a questionnaire on the nature of their paid work while enrolled in full-time study in a sample of universities across Australia.

Findings The results showed that students are working on average 18 hours per week during semester time. The results indicate that students in their first two years tend to undertake casual work that is not related to their degree. However, this pattern changes in the later two years of the course, where students switch to roles in construction that do relate to their coursework. The students start working on average 15 hours in the first year of their degree, and the time spent rises to 23 hours in their fourth year.

Practical implications Past research suggests that students may be working to an extent beyond what is considered beneficial to their studies. The implications of the amount of time working and the type of work are discussed.

Originality/value of paper The long-term impact of high levels of work and study on construction students are unknown. The paper concludes by suggesting that universities need a greater awareness of the impact of paid employment on engagement with their learning.

Work differences by sector for medical specialists : evidence of a public sector ethos

Work-related characteristics representative of the ethos for medical specialists have been relatively unexplored, particularly compared to the array of research on primary care physicians. Analyses of 4,166 specialists, from the first wave of the Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life (MABEL) study, revealed that specialists have a choice between either challenging work in the public sector or straightforward yet well-paid work in the private sector. Despite more challenging conditions, health and intent to leave were not key issues for specialists in the public sector, with specialists in private rooms more likely to leave the profession despite more positive work conditions. This result may be due to the public sector ethos suggested in other studies. Ultimately this study provides evidence that suggests differences in the ethos between medical specialists in the public and private sectors.

'Of course I didn't work … only when I had to': narratives of women's working lives and what really counted

There was a long-held belief, that, prior to the 1970s, women were no longer involved in paid labour once they were married or began to have children. Official statistics also supported this particular national narrative. This paper argues that this narrative did not accurately reflect the historical situation because the methods used to determine who worked and when did not fully capture all of women's paid labour at the time. This is reflected in a small study of older women and their recollections of paid employment. Some women initially claimed that they did no paid work after marriage, but with low key, in-depth and persistent questioning, it became clear that many women did work in an unofficial capacity (in the black economy) or alongside their husbands in their paid employment. This is a preliminary study that underlines the importance of life-course narratives in the social sciences to delve deeply into women's memories and thus their experiences.

Women academics and work–life balance: gendered discourses of work and care

This article examines how discourses of work–life balance are appropriated and used by women academics. Using data collected from semi-structured, single person interviews with 31 scholars at an Australian university, it identifies and explores four ways in which participants construct their relationship to work–life balance as: (1) a personal management task; (2) an impossible ideal; (3) detrimental to their careers; and (4) unmentionable at work. Findings reveal that female academics’ ways of speaking about work–life balance respond to gendered attitudes about paid work and unpaid care that predominate in Australian socio-cultural life. By taking a discursive approach to analysing work–life balance, our research makes a unique contribution to the literature by drawing attention to the power of work–life balance discourses in shaping how women configure their attempts to create a work–life balance, and how it functions to position academic women as failing to manage this balance.

Correlates of student satisfaction with study modes

Research into the outcomes for students of different study modes has generally concluded that there is ‘no significant difference’ between outcomes for students studying face-to-face and for those studying by a variety of distance or flexible means. As the shift towards CIT-based and independent learning for oncampus students accelerates, it is important to establish how student outcomes are affected. This paper reports on a survey of the experiences and satisfaction of oncampus students with different learning environments and compares the satisfaction of those students who have experienced both on- and off-campus study. These comparisons were made based on students’ employment status and their reasons for studying off-campus. The findings revealed that students were significantly less satisfied with their off-campus than on-campus experience regardless of their work status. Further, the results indicate an association between students’ satisfaction with off-campus study and their reasons for studying off-campus. Given the evidence provided in this paper in support of face-to-face learning environments for ‘conventional’ on-campus students, both academics and administrators have an interest in ensuring that it remains central to the higher education experience of current and future students.

An assault on identity : the male view of being made redundant

Participation and success in paid work is a key element of identity for many men. The increased prevalence of downsizing, and the discarding of individuals from organisations, therefore has particular pertinence when considering men’s workplace experiences. This paper discusses findings from an exploratory study investigating the experiences of Australian executives who had been made redundant. Three themes related to male identity are presented: the impact on respondents’ positions as breadwinners for their families; a concern for being seen to be capable and in control; and perceptions of loss of status upon returning to work. These executives expressed feelings of anger, sadness, fear and embarrassment as a result of the assault to their identity. There is a need for continued focus on these experiences and their implications for both men and women, particularly as individuals report undergoing multiple redundancies.

Studying and working : a national study of student finances and student engagement

A key determinant of the new relationship between students and universities in Australia is the changing nature of higher education funding arrangements and the shift towards “user-pays”. In 2007, the Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) completed a commissioned national study, Australian University Student Finances 2006: Final Report of a National Survey of Students in Public Universities. Drawing on the project report, this article discusses selected findings relating to student expectations and engagement to present a worrying picture of financial duress and involvement in paid work and examines the possible effects on the quality of higher education.

Distributions of caregiving tasks among family members: the place of gender and availability.

To extend family-oriented approaches to caregiving, participants in 2 studies were asked to distribute tasks among a set of adult children, first with information only about gender and then with systematically varied information about commitments to paid work, marriage, and/or parenting. Making the distributions, using a computer-based program, were 2 groups of older adults (ages 60 to 90 years). In Study 1, gender composition was kept constant (2 sons and 2 daughters). In Study 2, it was varied. The results showed several ways in which people combine attention to gender and to availability. The results also pointed to the need to consider both the number and type of tasks allocated. The results are discussed in terms of implications for the way caregiving is regarded, the development of multiple-factor models for variations among family members, and the possible replications and extensions to other circumstances and populations.