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Non-standard Work Hours and the Relationship Quality of Dual-Earner Parents

Jekielek, Susan Marie
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1048796449

Abstract Details

2003, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Sociology.
In this research, I explore the association between non-standard work hours and marital quality for dual-earner couples with children. I focus on one main question: Do the non-standard work hours of one spouse increase relationship conflict and decrease positive relationship interaction? I examine this question critically by addressing a number of additional questions: 1) Do specific types of non-standard work hours make couples more vulnerable? 2) Do non-standard work schedules cause specific types of conflict? 3) Does the presence of more and younger children cause the influence of non-standard schedules to be more negative? I additionally address alternative explanations for the observed associations between non-standard work schedules, on the one hand, and relationship quality, on the other hand. To address my research questions I analyze a sample of 1,016 employed respondents from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth cohort (NLSY79) who were living with children 18 or younger at the time of the 1996 survey round. All respondents were married or cohabiting with partners employed at least 30 hours a week. Overall, non-standard work schedules are associated with higher levels of conflict and lower levels of positive interaction. I do not find significant differences in relationship quality for those who work evening compared to night shifts, or regular compared to irregular shifts. There is more support for the possibility that nonstandard work schedules hurt couples more than they help couples. While they do not argue significantly more about children, split-shift couples do argue significantly more about both chores and affection compared to couples that both work day shifts, suggesting that gains in regards to split-shift schedules as a childcare option may be diminished by the effect of these schedules on the quality of couples' relationships. In fact, the association between split-shift schedules and arguments about chores and responsibilities is quite dynamic. Finally, it appears that nonstandard work schedules are associated with deterioration in relationship quality over time. It also appears that some couples are more amenable to working opposing schedules because their relationships were lower in quality to start out with, and yet they continue to experience deterioration in their relationship quality.
Elizabeth Menaghan (Advisor)
142 p.
relationship quality; nonstandard hours; work and family

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Jekielek, S. M. (2003). Non-standard Work Hours and the Relationship Quality of Dual-Earner Parents [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1048796449

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Jekielek, Susan. Non-standard Work Hours and the Relationship Quality of Dual-Earner Parents. 2003. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1048796449.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Jekielek, Susan. "Non-standard Work Hours and the Relationship Quality of Dual-Earner Parents." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2003. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1048796449

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.