Teachers as good mothers, mothers as good teachers: Functional and ideological work–family alignment in the South Korean teaching profession

Abstract

As one of the largest women‐dominated employment niches in many national contexts, the teaching profession has been widely studied, yet the gender, work and family negotiations within this profession deserve fuller attention. The case study of South Korean teachers, one of the most highly qualified teaching workforces in the world, illuminates how particular professions create specific challenges as well as supports for work and family that can counter national patterns of women's low labour force participation. This study engages with theoretical debates regarding ‘work–family conflict' and ‘work–life balance' to develop the alternative framework of ‘work–family alignment' giving greater attention to cultural, ideological and functional dimensions within specific occupations and national contexts. However, rather than expanding opportunities for women, work–family alignment often depends on conformity to normative gender roles — both at work and within families. Nonetheless, the framework of work–family alignment can inform policy implementation by demonstrating that both functional and ideological supports are needed for workplace and state policies to be effective.

Twenty years of gender equality research: A scoping review based on a new semantic indicator

“…The roles covered by women have been deeply investigated. Scholars have focused on the role of women in their families and the society as a whole [e.g., 14 , 15 ], and, more widely, in business contexts [e.g., 18 , 81 ]. Indeed, despite still lagging behind their male counterparts [e.g., 86 , 87 ], in the last decade there has been an increase in top ranked positions achieved by women [e.g., 88 , 89 ].…”

“…Scholars have dedicated a massive effort towards understanding gender equality, its determinants, its consequences for women and society, and the appropriate actions and policies to advance women’s equality. Many topics have been covered, ranging from women’s education and human capital [ 12 , 13 ] and their role in society [e.g., 14 , 15 ], to their appointment in firms’ top ranked positions [e.g., 16 , 17 ] and performance implications [e.g., 18 , 19 ]. Despite some attempts, extant literature reviews provide a narrow view on these issues, restricted to specific topics–e.g., female students’ presence in STEM fields [ 20 ], educational gender inequality [ 5 ], the gender pay gap [ 21 ], the glass ceiling effect [ 22 ], leadership [ 23 ], entrepreneurship [ 24 ], women’s presence on the board of directors [ 25 , 26 ], diversity management [ 27 ], gender stereotypes in advertisement [ 28 ], or specific professions [ 29 ].…”

The Relationship Between Teacher Job Stress and Burnout: A Moderated Mediation Model

“…On the one hand, the requirements from students, society, and school evaluation make teachers perceive that they have an excessive number of tasks in their workload or that they do not have enough time and energy to complete these tasks, resulting in a lot of work pressure ( Li et al, 2011 ). At this time, if the emotional needs of family members (partners and children) are not met and they feel neglected, they may produce more negative emotions, which will exacerbate family conflict ( Kang et al, 2020 ). On the other hand, according to the conservation of resources theory, when teachers are in a state of work–family conflict, their psychological resources are largely invested in maintaining the coordination and balance of work and family relations ( LePine et al, 2004 ).…”

Work-life balance in Higher Education: a systematic review of the impact on the well-being of teachers

“…Kinman and Jones (2008) portray that work-life balance is a way of balancing roles, in which fulfilling the responsibilities of one domain (work) does not harm the other domain (family). Kang, Park and Park (2019) state that the work-life balance addresses not only the structure of conflicts and family, but involves other concerns such as health, leisure activities, personal development and community commitments. Little research in developing countries was another weakness; the theme was highlighted by the United States of America and India.…”