‘Bad Mum Guilt’: the representation of ‘work-life balance’ in UK women’s magazines

Abstract

The social policy climate, labour market trends and gendered arrangements for paid and family work mean that 'work-life balance' remains a key social issue in the UK.Media representations of 'work-life balance' are a key source for the construction of gender and working motherhood. Despite evidence of gendered representations in media coverage of other social issues, little attention has been paid to the construction of work-life balance in UK women's magazines. Articles from the highest circulating UK women's magazines are analysed using a discursive approach to explicate constructions of work-life balance and working motherhood. The analysis reveals that multiple roles are constructed as a problematic choice leading to stress and guilt. Problems associated with multiple roles are constructed as individual problems, in a way that decontextualises and depoliticises them and normalises gendered assumptions and a gendered division of labour. Parallels can be drawn between this and wider discourses about women's daily lives and to the UK social policy context.

Psychosocial Processes of Discrimination Against Women in the Workplace

“…In this condition, they are assessed as less competent and more emotional compared to women who do not have children. Consequently, working mothers are less likely to be interviewed, hired, trained, or promoted compared to parents or women without children (Correll, Bernard, & Paik, 2007;Cuddy, Fiske, & Glick, 2004;Sullivan, 2015). Following this line of argument, while working mothers receive more negative assessments in terms of competence, a trait associated with high status occupations, men who have children are assessed as more sociable and ensure that perceived competence is maintained (Cuddy et al, 2004;Glick, Wilk, & Perreault, 1995).…”

Estereotipos de género, maternidad y empleo: un análisis psicosociológico

“…La idea según la cual la maternidad es la principal vía de realización de la mujer, y que ella está capacitada de forma natural e instintiva para el cuidado de los hijos, se encuentra fuertemente arraigada no solo en la cultura popular, sino también en el discurso médico y en los medios de comunicación (Bobel, 2002;Hays, 1996;Oakley, 1979;Sullivan, 2015;Wall, 2013). Se cree que, como expresión del instinto maternal, la mujer desarrolla una serie de rasgos psicológicos vinculados a la expresividad emocional y la afectividad que la predisponen y capacitan para el cuidado de los hijos, así como la diferencian psicoló-gicamente del varón, quien no posee de manera natural estas capacidades.…”

Well-Being, More Than a Dream: Women Constructing Metaphors of Strength

“…Women's empowerment and hierarchical representation in the work context is a global drive, yet traditional norms for gender roles continue to regard women as primarily responsible for domestic roles. Consequently, female employees are expected to devote less time to work than their male counterparts (Wattis et al, 2013 ; Sullivan, 2015 ; Toffoletti and Starr, 2016 ). As a result, women face unique challenges in work-life balance as their career progresses (Potgieter and Barnard, 2010 ).…”

“…Instead, it places the responsibility of attaining work-life balance solely on the individual. Naturally, this creates unrealistic expectations and the additional anxiety to be an ideally balanced individual (Ford and Collinson, 2011 ), which applies especially to female employees (Sullivan, 2015 ; Adame et al, 2016 ; Toffoletti and Starr, 2016 ). Taking a psychoanalytic perspective to understanding the work-life balance dynamic, Bloom ( 2016 ) recognizes above and below surface dynamics at the intersection of the individual and the system.…”