Fiatal kutatók munkamagánélet egyensúlya a
műszaki területen
Veronika PAKSI
Assistant Research Fellow, Institute of Sociology, CSS, HAS
PhD student, Covinus University of Budapest
Tudásáramlás és a tudás megtérülésének
egyes vetületei: PhD fokozattal
rendelkező nők és férfiak a tudományos
pályán
ELTE PPK Felnőttképzés-kutatási és
Tudásmenedzsment Intézet, MTA KIK Tudománypolitikai
és Tudományelemzési Osztály, MTA TK Szociológiai
Intézet
2016. június 10. MTA TK Szociológiai Intézet, Hegedüs
terem
A kutatást támogatta:
Nemzeti Kutatási, Fejlesztési és
Innovációs Hivatal NKFIH K116102)
Content
1. Theoretical background
2. Earlier research findings
3. Research questions
4. Methods and sample
5. Results 1-5.
6. Summary and conclusion
1. Theoretical Background
Work-life balance (WLB) theories
Theory
Work and family life are …
Work-family conflict
in conflict and
cannot be reconciled.
(time, strain and behaviour based)
(Greenhaus & Beutell 1985)
Segmentation
(Edwards & Rothbar 2000)
Spillover
(Tammelin 2009)
Border
(Clark 2000)
segregated and
do not affect each other.
not segregated but affect
each other, causing similarities.
not segregated and
can be formed to some extent.
2. Earlier Research Findings
WLB of female professionals in R&D
•
•
•
•
Motherhood and career are hard to reconcile
Slow career advancement / often leaving R&D after PhD
More single, delayed motherhood, lower fertility
WLB seems to be more difficult in male-dominated fields
WLB of graduate students
• Overloads and stress at work/school, conflicts at home
• Females, especially young mothers are less satisfied
Work-family balance is usually described
similar to the conflict model
(Xie & Shauman 2003, Hewlett 2003, Wolfinger 2008, Nagy 2013, Fináncz
2007, Stimpson & Filer 2011)
3. Research Questions
How do female PhD engineering students
balance their studies, work and family life?
a) What constraining and facilitating factors do they
identify in relation to their WLB?
b) Are there special characteristics of education and
working in engineering that affect their WLB?
c) How does PhD attendance affect the timing of
their first childbirth?
4. Methods and sample
Qualitative method: Semi-structured interview
Target group: Female PhD students in the field of
chemical- and bioengineering
Sample:
– 11 women from a doctoral school in Budapest
– Age: 23-31
– Martial status: single (3), married (3), cohabit (5)
– Parental status: childless (8), 1child (2), pregnant (1)
– Fellowship: state (8), industrial (3)
– Workplace: academia or university (6),
pharmaceutical company (2), no workplace (3)
Analysis: Template analysis, coding
5.1 Results: WLB in general
Wishes and plans
Balancing ٠
career and motherhood...
Reality
٠ ٠They are hard to reconcile:
continuous lack of time, stress
(conflict theory)
Separated work and family life ٠
(segmentation theory) ..
Life domains affect and form
each other (spillover theory)
Strategy:
Juggling the multiplied life
domains and form them as much
as possible (border theory)
Result:
PhD + life:  
PhD + life + work:  
PhD + life + work + child:  
‘[…] so I really don’t have a clue how I will manage all that. I think if you have a
job, and also do a PhD and have a kid, you will easily lose control. It’s very
difficult to do a PhD and raise children as well as work. I don’t even know
anyone who could pull it off.’ (age 29, married, childless, industry)
5.2 Results: Constraining factors
Certain characteristics of research career
• Heavy workloads, multifaceted tasks
• Always being up-to-date, lock-step advancement
Inflexible working conditions
• Especially in industry
In relation to childbearing:
• Breaking the whole career
‘My fiancé is all enthusiastic about it, but actually he won’t have to quit his
job. So when I decide that I’m willing to give up my professional career, we
can immediately have a baby.’ (25, cohabits, childless, industry)
• Labour market uncertainty, discrimination
‘In professional life the people deciding who can return and when
(after childbearing) are typically men.’ (25, cohabits, childless, industry)
• Mobility problems
5.3 Results: WLB and engineering
Laboratory work
• Inflexible
• Unpredictable
• Hazardous substances
Affect WLB negatively
+
Delay childbearing
However …
‘[…] I accidentally knocked over
some carcinogenic solvent in
the lab before I even knew
(pregnancy). Well, the baby
was affected a bit, but it was
only for one or two days.’ (28,
cohabits, Academia)
‘Women had better have children as soon as possible, because no matter
how careful we are about health and safety, these chemicals do not make
childbearing any easier.’ (28, single, childless, Academia)
5.4 Results: Facilitating factors
Adequate financial situation
• Husband with good income
• Higher amount of fellowship
Social support
• Parents, partner (educational homogamy), school,
workplace
Spatial factor
• Workplace and grandparents nearby
Flexible working conditions
• Working hours – but! – more work; more conflict
• Home office – but! – blurred borders; lab work
• Part time job – but! – lower salary; slower career
5.5 Results: Timing of the 1st child
Influenced by:
• Constraining factors + lab work (see before)
• Social norms: finished school
too late for motherhood
There is not ideal period during the career
• Before PhD: breaking the whole career
• During PhD: irreconcilable
• After PhD: too late, labour market uncertainty
Then when?! The ‘least bad’ option:
after lab work, around dissertation writing
6. Summary and conclusion
• WLB difficulties as early as PhD education
• Motherhood and career:
- uncertainty and tensions
- (further) delayed motherhood
• Gender differences in academic life courses
• The field of science affects WLB
• Sectorial differences
• Students’ control over their WLB is limited
• Strong social support is needed
Acknowledgements:
• Tutors: Beáta Nagy and Gábor Király
• Project participants: Ildikó Dén-Nagy, Zsuzsanna Géring,
Nikolett Geszler, Márta Radó
• Doctoral School of CUB
• My mother
Thank you for your attention!
Remarks and
questions?
Contact: [email protected]