Mødre og fedre i møte med karrierelogikkens spilleregler

Abstract

Hva skjer med høyt utdannede kvinners og menns karriere- og familietilpasning når de får barn? Og hvordan kan tilpasningene forklares?<br><br>

Avhandlingen tar utgangspunkt i tre samfunnsmessige utviklingstrekk som peker i retning av et mer likestilt arbeids- og familieliv: kvinners økte utdanningsnivå, menns nye fedrerolle og utviklingen av familievennlige rettigheter og ordninger. I avhandlingens fire artikler undersøkes i hvilken grad disse endringene har medført at vi nå kan snakke om et likestilt arbeidsliv blant høyt utdannede – eller om omsorgsansvar for barn fortsatt har kjønnsskjeve konsekvenser for realisering av karriere. Avhandlingen viser at eliteutdannede kvinner har like sterke karrierepreferanser som menn, og at de foretrekker en lik fordeling av lønnsarbeid og omsorg for barn. Likevel tar mødre mer av omsorgsansvaret enn fedre, og fordeling av omsorgsansvaret får betydning for realisering av karriere. Fars karriere får oftere forkjørsrett, mens mors karriere får vikeplikt, også i høyutdanningspar. Avhandlingen viser imidlertid at de få fedrene som tar hovedansvaret hjemme, har de samme utfordringer i forhold til jobb og karriere som mødre.<br><br>

For å forstå hvordan konflikten mellom karriere og omsorg for barn kan opprettholdes, til tross for familievennlig tilrettelegging, anvendes begrepet karrierelogikkens spilleregler. Å utforske karrierelogikkens spilleregler betyr i denne sammenheng å undersøke hvilke egenskaper, tilpasninger og ressurser som reelt sett belønnes med avansement eller andre former for karrieresuksess i en gitt bransje eller arbeidsorganisasjon. Ved hjelp av kvantitative og kvalitative data og metoder utforskes betingelsene for mødres og fedres karriere- og familietilpasninger – og deres konsekvenser – i lys av de prosesser som oppstår og reproduseres i møtet med karrierelogikkens spilleregler – der trumfkortet nettopp er å konstruere seg selv som uunnværlig og "alltid beredt".

Mothers and fathers facing the “rules of career” In what ways does motherhood and fatherhood affect career and family adaptations among highly educated men and women? And how can these adaptations be explained? This dissertation takes its starting point from three important societal changes: increasing number of highly educated women, the new role of fathers and implementation of family-friendly policies. Do these changes imply gender equal work-family adaptations, or do we still find gender traditional patterns and practices? The dissertation combines quantitative and qualitative methods and utilizes four datasets that are particularly apt to shed light on the tension between development of new gender equal opportunities and continued reproduction of traditional patterns. The four papers analyze conditions and consequences of career and family-adaptations among a selection of privileged men and women: the conditions for career realization among men and women working within a large family-friendly and diversity oriented company (paper 1), “new men’s” adaptations to work and family life (paper 2) and elite educated mothers and fathers adaptations to career and child care in the family-friendly Norwegian welfare state (paper 3 and 4). The three societal changes – increased level of education among women, new models of fatherhood and development of work-family friendly policies – have altered the external conditions for mothers’ and fathers’ adaptations to work and family. Nevertheless, my findings indicate that these changes have not been sufficient to alter the gradual gendered division of labour among highly educated workers. The analyses show that highly educated men and women, despite a common starting point and equal preferences, find themselves in systematic different work-family adaptations. Fathers follow to a greater degree the “rules of career” implying continuous investment of time and energy and are rewarded with higher career opportunities. Mothers, on the other hand, typically take more responsibility at home and rely on the possibility of postponed career. Fathers’ career gets priority, while mothers’ careers tend to give way. The dissertation challenges the traditional explanations of this pattern, rejecting preference theory as well as constraints perspective. Exploring the impact of the informal “rules of career”, i.e. the actual resources, characteristics and adaptations that are rewarded with advancement or other forms of career success, I aim to contribute to a better understanding of mothers’ and fathers’ conditions for career realization. The dissertation shows how the informal rules of career are based on insecurity and individual competition among internal and external colleagues over future career chances. The ability to construct oneself as irreplaceable is a core value. When family-friendly policies turn parents (mostly mothers) into replaceable workers, the “rules of career” are consequently violated. The analyses demonstrates how generous family-friendly policies designed to enhance gender equality and work-family balance by simply reducing practical constraints may have limited – or even counterproductive – impact within high-commitment occupations where the employee’s irreplaceability is the name of game.