The Effects of Marital Status and Motherhood on the Career Concerns of Reentry Women

Reentry Women: A Literature Review With Recommendations for Counseling and Research

“…Reentry women have reported vocational reasons as a primary motive for both educational and labor force reentry. These vocational reasons included the desire to have a new career (Sewall, 1984) and to become self-supporting (Clayton & Smith, 1987); extrinsic job satisfaction (Smart & Pascarella, 1987); job dissatisfaction, better employment, or changing jobs (Badenhoop & Johansen, 1980;MacKinnon-Slaney, Barber, & Slaney, 1988;Read, Elliott, Escobar, & Slaney, 1988); and the desire to work (Pickering & Galvin-Schaefers, 1988;Read et al, 1988). Divorced reentry women have been found to rate better employment as a reason for educational reentry significantly higher than have married women (MacKinnon- .…”

“…Children and the time necessary to devote to them are viewed by reentry women as a major obstacle to finishing education (Badenhoop & Johansen, 1980). Read et al (1988) also found that women with children believe family, as well as finances and limitations of time, are obstacles to their goals. Interestingly, in one study that examined conflicts in male and female reentry students, although all the men in the study were parents, not one mentioned family demands as a source of role conflict, as did the women (Gilbert et al, 1980).…”

“…In two studies (MacKinnon- Read et al, 1988) married reentry women were found to be more likely to see themselves as having more family emotional support as compared with separated and divorced women. In these same studies, divorced reentry women placed a significantly higher value on better employment and financial need than did married reentry women.…”

“…In these same studies, divorced reentry women placed a significantly higher value on better employment and financial need than did married reentry women. Reentry women with children have also been found to place a higher value on better jobs and income than have women without children (Read et al, 1988).…”

“…Researchers studying the effects of career indecision treatments (Slaney & Dickson, 1985;Slaney & Lewis, 1986) have failed to find a preferred career indecision treatment although these treatments have succeeded in producing change in career-undecided women. Reentry women have been found to be relatively career decided and to use a rational career decision-making style (MacKinnon-Slaney et al, 1988;Read et al, 1988). Separated or divorced reentry women have reported significantly higher expectations of their careers' providing more future life satisfaction than have married reentry women (Read et al, 1988).…”