Work Orientations and Women's Work: A Critique of Hakim's Theory of the Heterogeneity of Women

Abstract

This paper is a critique of Hakim's theory of the gendered character of work with its key idea of the 'heterogeneity of women' centring on the distinction between those who are 'family oriented' and those who are 'career oriented'. Such patterns of work commitment are claimed to be developed by early adulthood and to steer women in one direction or the other.Our critique is based on interviews with two groups of young adult women generating rich data on their attitudes to employment, families and the relationship between the two. The first group ('single workers') when first interviewed were single, childless and employed full-time. The second ('early mothers') were partnered mothers with at most part-time employment.The substance of the critique is threefold:1. The single workers could not be clearly separated by 'career' or 'family' orientation. They wanted both, which then left them in Hakim's residual category as 'drifters', a wholly inappropriate characterization. 2. The early mothers were certainly homemakers but our data doubted that this was by choice and suggested that many were becoming more career oriented. Longitudinal data from the single workers show the importance of analysing 'orientation'or other aspects of agency in the context of social structure rather than as a prime mover in itself.

Constructing a career: women architects at work

“…The topic of women's orientations and commitment to their career has generated an abundance of literature throughout the 1990s, principally by Hakim (1996Hakim ( , 1998Hakim ( , 2000 but with additional contributions and responses by a variety of others (Crompton and Le Feuvre, 1996;Caven, 1999;Crompton and Harris, 1998;Ginn et al, 1996;Bruegel, 1996;Walsh, 1999;Procter and Padfield, 1999). Hakim (2000) has identified three distinct preferences held by women regarding their career: 'home-centred', 'adaptive' and 'work-centred'.…”

The Study of Relationship between Women Teachers’ Career Barriers and Organizational Silence: Viewpoint of Women and Men Teachers

“…For this reason, it is indicated that the teaching profession with short working hours and long holidays is accepted as women's profession by the society (Wilson, 2002). Women do not want to enter into the career development process because of the men in the top position that are superior in number to women, and the male dominant organization culture established and maintained by them (Procter, Maureen, 1999). As understood from the explanations, it can be seen that these barriers produced by the society have created a significant obstacle for women to make a career, and these obstacles are ignored by men.…”

Choice, diversity and ‘false consciousness’ in women's careers

“…Hakim's critics have largely overlooked this fact preferring instead to focus on lack of institutional childcare as a major constraint upon women's employment (Crompton and Harris 1998;Crompton and Le Feuvre 1996;Ginn et al 1996;Bruegel 1996). This ultimately means that children are seen as a barrier to a career whilst the reality is that many women want to pursue both a career and motherhood, expecting both to be equally rewarding (Meiksins and Whalley 1998;Procter and Padfield 1999;Walsh 1999).…”

“…Hakim's (1996Hakim's ( , 1998Hakim's ( , 2001Hakim's ( , 2002Hakim's ( , 2003 contention that women have differing orientations to work challenged many of these assumptions and became the subject of much derision from her critics (Crompton and Le Feuvre, 1996;Crompton and Harris, 1998;Ginn et al, 1996;Bruegel, 1996;Walsh, 1999;Procter and Padfield, 1999;McRae 2003aMcRae , 2003b. The only area of common ground appears to be that McRae (2003aMcRae ( , 2003b concurs that most sociological theory is inadequate at explaining women's employment decisions.…”

“…Hakim's critics have largely overlooked this fact preferring instead to focus on economic and social factors (McRae 2003a(McRae , 2003b and lack of institutional childcare as the major constraints upon women's employment (Crompton and Harris 1998;Crompton and Le Feuvre 1996;Ginn et al 1996;Bruegel 1996). This ultimately means that children are seen as a barrier to a career whilst the reality is that many women want to pursue both a career and motherhood, expecting both to be equally rewarding (Meiksins and Whalley 1998;Procter and Padfield 1999;Walsh 1999). In addition, Hakim's critics focus only on the presence of children as influencing women's orientations to work when Hakim (2001) herself makes mention of women without children preferring to work reduced hours because they are involved with politics, voluntary work and the like.…”