Work–life balance for native and migrant scholars in German academia: meanings and practices

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address notions and practices relating to work–life balance for native German scholars and researchers who have migrated from the former Soviet Union (FSU). Issues will be explored from a cultural perspective, identifying culturally based interpretations of work–life balance. Design/methodology/approach Foregrounded in a diversity approach, this empirical study draws upon explorative interviews to discuss work–life balance in German academia. To overcome monocultural observations, 25 German scholars and 11 researchers originating from the FSU were interviewed, all of whom are highly skilled female scholars. Findings Findings demonstrate that individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds can perceive huge differences in identical working conditions. The study links meanings of work–life balance with individual practices and identifies key components of work–life balance within this population. It also discusses the decisions that scholars make about starting families or remaining childless for the sake of their careers. Originality/value This study is the first of its kind in Germany, and represents a strong implication for policies and their evaluation. It identifies the crucial role played by culturally rooted notions relating to work–life balance practices.

Understanding Patterns of Economic Insecurity for Post-Soviet Migrant Women in Europe

“…In this case, marriage would compensate the shortcomings caused by lack of human capital and its loss through the act of migration. Since marriage is deemed one of life's successful scenarios for post-Soviet women (Gewinner, 2019 ), this fits well the concept of man's responsibility for woman's happiness and security. By contrast, highly-educated women define economic insecurity as temporary employment and the necessity to secure a stable work contract, concerns about losing qualifications, and being forced to work in fields not really matching their expertise or level of competence.…”

“…Third, women are highly involved in both production and reproduction processes, which goes along with persistent gender inequalities in the post-Soviet space. Support of traditional family values and gender roles therefore coexists with women's relatively high levels of education and employment (Gewinner, 2019 ).…”

“…Spain is associated with lifestyle and marriage migration (Roca and Umeneta, 2013). Germany, which-like Italy-registers more female than male migrants from post-socialist countries (Statistisches Bundesamt, 2020), is attractive for very diverse social groups ranging from highly-skilled (Gewinner, 2019(Gewinner, , 2020 to usually less skilled ethnic Germans (Kogan, 2012).…”

По-Прежнему Суперженщина? Как Женщины-Ученые Из Бывшего СССР Совмещают Работу И Семейную Жизнь За Границей

“…This group is particularly interesting for analysis, as Russian-speaking women often successfully convert their qualifications from their countries of origin and gain highly-skilled employment in receiving countries [Kalter, Kogan, 2014]. At the same time, they find themselves in a different institutional and cultural context, while continuing with the norms brought from their home country [Gewinner, 2019]. In post-Soviet space, the 'working mother' gender contract is still dominant, implying that women combine full-time employment with family and household duties [Temkina, Rotkirch, 2002].…”

“…Third, different institutional conditions in the UK and Germany, i. e. specific academic settings and welfare systems, will considerably influence the WFB strategies of female scholars. Cross-national analysis of WFB-related cultural norms is particularly lacking in the contemporary scholarship [Kravchenko, Motiejunaite, 2008;Lewis, Beauregard, 2018;Gewinner, 2019], and this constitutes one of the major novelties of our study.…”