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Single Mothers, Social Capital, and Work–Family Conflict

Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA

The purpose of this article is to examine work–family conflict among low-income, unmarried mothers. Analyzing the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a national sample of nonmarital births, I examine how social capital affects work–family conflict and how both social capital and work–family conflict affect employment. Results show that social capital reduces unmarried mothers' reports of work–family conflict, especially for low-income women. In addition, mothers who report high levels of conflict are less likely to be employed; this pattern holds for women who are looking for work and those who are not. However, even at high levels of conflict, low-income women are more likely to be employed. The results suggest that work–family conflict has two consequences for unmarried women: It keeps them out of the labor force and makes it more difficult for women who want to work to maintain employment stability.

Key Words: single mothers • employment • work–family conflict • low-income families

Journal of Family Issues, Vol. 28, No. 1, 34-60 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0192513X06292809


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