The Effects of maternal employment on adolascent adjustment

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of maternal employment on the sex- typed characteristics, perception of the family environment and adjustment of adolescents from a sample of intact Turkish families. The sample was composed of 107 adolescent students whose mothers were employed full-time and 107 students whose mothers were full-time homemakers. The measurement instruments were the Sex- Trait Stereotype Measure, the Family Environment Questionnaire and the Minnesota Counseling Inventory. It was hypothesized that adolescents whose mothers were working would have less sex-typed characteristics than adolescents whose mothers were full-time homemakers. Also, no difference was expected in perception of the family environment between adolescents whose mothers were working and those whose mothers were full-time homemakers. It was also hypothesized that there would be no differences in level of adjustment between adolescents whose mothers were working and adolescents whose mothers were full-time homemakers. The findings revealed that maternal employment status by itself was not a significant factor affecting adolescents' sex- typed characteristics, perception of the family environment and adjustment. However, interaction of maternal employment by gender was a significant factor affecting adolescents' adjustment, as were perceived family environment, sex- typed characteristics and gender.