Balancing Work and Family in Canada - An Empirical Examination of Conceptualizations and Measurements

Authors

  • Annette Tézli University of Calgary, Sociology
  • Anne H. Gauthier University of Calgary, Sociology

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/cjs4115

Keywords:

family, work-family conflict, family policy

Abstract

The issue of work and family balance has been on the agenda of many governmental and non-governmental organizations in recent years and has led to the adoption of various policies. However, combining work and family responsibilities remains a challenge for many parents. In this paper, we examine the work-family conflict experienced by Canadian working parents. For the purpose of this paper, work-family conflict is conceptualized as the time-related stress arising from the competing demands of the different roles imposed on working parents. Our objective is three-fold. First, we take a critical look at how time stress has been conceptualized and measured in previous studies. Using data from the 2005 Canadian General Social Survey on time use, we suggest an alternative multi-item scale. Second, we examine the impact of different predictors on parents' time stress, paying special attention to the impact of work-related factors. Finally, we discuss the impact of provincial variations in family policy on parents' time stress. Although Québec has introduced a number of family-oriented policies, we do not find evidence that these policies have resulted in less time stress for working parents in Québec. La balance entre le travail et la famille est un sujet qui a été présent sur l’agenda de plusieurs gouvernements et organisations non-gouvernementales au cours des dernières années et qui a donné lieu à l’adoption de diverses politiques. Cependant, la combinaison des responsabilités reliées au travail et à la famille demeure un défi pour de nombreux parents. Dans ce papier, nous examinons le stress temporel (time stress) vécu par les parents Canadiens qui ont un emploi rémunéré. Notre objectif est triple. Premièrement, nous portons un regard critique sur la façon dont le stress temporel a été conceptualisé et mesuré dans les études antérieures. Sur la base des données de l’enquête canadienne générale sur l’emploi du temps de 2005, nous suggérons une échelle multi-items. Deuxièmement, nous examinons l’impact de différentes variables sur le stress temporel des parents tout en portant une attention toute spéciale sur les variables reliées au travail. Finalement, nous discutons de l’impact des variations provinciales en matière de politique familiale sur le stress temporel des parents. Bien que le Québec ait introduit un nombre de politiques reliées à la famille, nous n’obtenons pas de résultats qui suggèrent que ces politiques ont réduit le stress temporel pour les parents québécois qui ont un emploi.

Author Biographies

Annette Tézli, University of Calgary, Sociology

M.A., PhD student, Department of Sociology, University of Calgary

Anne H. Gauthier, University of Calgary, Sociology

PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Calgary, Canada Research Chair in Comparative Family Policy

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Published

2008-12-12

Issue

Vol. 34 No. 2 (2009)

Section

Articles

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