ERIC Number: EJ872446
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Dec
Pages: 34
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0037-7732
EISSN: N/A
Is There a Career Penalty for Mothers' Time Out? A Comparison of Germany, Sweden and the United States
Aisenbrey, Silke; Evertsson, Marie; Grunow, Daniela
Social Forces, v88 n2 p573-606 Dec 2009
This article focuses on three countries with distinct policies toward motherhood and work: Germany, Sweden and the United States. We analyze the length of mothers' time out of paid work after childbirth and the short-term career consequences for mothers. In the United States, we identify a career punishment even for short time-out periods; long time-out periods increase the risk of a downward move and reduce the chances of an upward move. In Germany, long time-out periods destabilize the career and, the longer the leave, the greater the risk of either an upward or downward move. In Sweden, we find a negative effect of time out on upward moves. Hence, even in "woman-friendly" Sweden, women's career prospects are better if they return to paid work sooner rather than later. (Contains 12 notes, 5 tables, and 4 figures.)
Descriptors: Mothers, Family Work Relationship, Foreign Countries, Comparative Analysis, Public Policy, Birth, Females, Occupational Mobility, Leaves of Absence, Cross Cultural Studies, Careers, Educational Attainment, Statistical Analysis
University of North Carolina Press. 116 South Boundary Street, P.O. Box 2288, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2288. Tel: 800-848-6224; Tel: 919-966-7449; Fax: 919-962-2704; e-mail: uncpress@unc.edu; Web site: http://uncpress.unc.edu/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Germany; Sweden; United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A