The feminization of the medical career in Brazil and work-family conflicts

Abstract

This study focused on comparing gender-related perspectives on the occurrence of work-family conflicts and their antecedents in the context of Brazilian medical professionals' careers. The results indicate that, the greater the stressors present at work or within the family, the greater the level of conflict tends to be, but, the greater the social support in these two spheres, the lesser the conflict is likely to be. Stressors related to work are more significant than those related to the family, while social support at work contributes to diminishing stressors' effects in both spheres. Even though women experience more stress at work on average and receive less social support, no significant gender-related differences exist in terms of work-family conflict. These findings contribute to a more accurate understanding of how best to minimise these conflicts and promote gender equality and medical workers' wellbeing.