Chapter 9
oftenweresatisfiedwithmeaningfulcareers
whichallowedthemplentyof timefor
family.
Thus,second- and third-generation
women who are more career-oriented find
few role models to help them with their
ascent.Men tend to mentor each other,
but women often have to go it alone.
Women sometimes find a lack of social
support at the top.Men get together for
golf outings and happy hour after work.
Often,women are not invited or may feel
the need to spend that time at home.
Thus,women often are lonely at the top
because they may not have much in
common with the men surrounding them.
It is not uncommon for a woman who
reaches the top to suddenly“bail out,”
realigning herself with her family and
female friends.Concern for this“brain
drain”in science prompted a study of why
women scientists,engineers and
technologists leave full time employment
in alarmingly high numbers (Helwett,
Luce,& Servon,2008).The findings
indicate there are several reasons why
women leave these professions: hostility,
isolation,job expectations,long work
weeks,and the need for out-of-town
travel.Since women in dual-income
families still bear the brunt of the
household management,they often leave
their job rather than remain under the
pressure required in the job.Brizendine
(2008) suggests the lack of women rising
to the top is more a matter of timing.She
suggests the“go-for-it”moment occurs in
one’s 40s,which coincides with one of the
busiest timesforwomenwithchildren,thus
takingthemoutoftherunningforthetop
jobs.
Awomanwhotakestimeoff fromwork
tohavechildrenwilloftenexperiencea
dramaticlong-termconsequence.The Price
of Motherhood: Why the Most Important Job
in the World is Still the Least Valued
(Crittenden,2001)examinesthelong-term
financialimpacts(careerearnings,
retirementincome)forwomen.Theauthor
notesthatawomanwholeavesthe
workforcetohavetwochildrentakesa15%
cutinlifetimeearnings.Inaculturewitha
divorcerateof 40–50%—withwomenmost
oftenreceivingcustodyof thechildren—
womenmayfindthemselvesinafinancially
tenuousposition.The Impact of Dual-Career
Families on ChildrenDual-career families are on the increase
today.Over 55% of women with infant
children work outside the home (U.S.
Census Bureau,2005c).This is still a
relatively new phenomenon,andWestern
culture is struggling to adapt to this new
family form.How are children’s lives
different when both parents work outside
the home? Research is divided on the
advantages and disadvantages for
children.