The Internal Shift of Dual-Career Family WomenTaking Care of Maternal Parents

• Main Authors: WEI SHU CHIUNG, 魏淑瓊
• Other Authors: 蔡培村
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2006
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/00270238835384118441

碩士 === 國立高雄師範大學 === 成人教育研究所在職專班 === 94 === Traditional patriarchy reinforces the role of caregiver played by females. However, females do not have autonomy and alternative in taking care of members of husband's family. With the increase of female education and labor, family structures have undergone a fundamental change. This research investigates the internal shift of married females faced with the responsibility for caring for parents of the family of origin, hoping to arouse attention in a society suffering from aging and reducing population. This research is a semi-structured interview study, with five females from dual-career families as the subjects. The purpose is to analyze: (1) the reasons why there is the need for caring and why females choose to assume the responsibility (2) the internal and external factors that hinders caring (3) the strategies that the caregiver adopts when dealing with hindrance. The conclusions are as follows: 1.Personal and family factors influence dual-career family women's decision to look after parents of the family of origin. Personal factors include emotional attachment, social norms and economic ability. Family factors involve the inability and unwillingness of brothers of the family of origin to offer caring. Also, the structure of nuclear family helps to boost female autonomy. 2.The parents' willingness to accept caring and the spouse's support are the keys to a supportive environment. 3.The external factors that hinder the caregiver emerge when the spouse objects or the mother-in-law has different notions of caring. The internal factors refer to the physical and psychological state of the caregiver as well as economics and the public opinion. 4.Dual-career family women are more likely to deal with obstacles and adjust themselves well when receiving positive evaluation, having good time management, adjusting lifestyle, or seek assistance from professional care centers and staff.