This study utilizes Wave One of the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) to investigate a possible relationship between parenting style and parental occupation. This study asks the question: How do parenting styles differ as a function of parental occupational status? This issue was examined by utilizing chi square and analysis of variance tests. Parental attitudes and behaviors toward raising their children were investigated and then compared with the parental occupation. Statistical analysis indicates that the three parenting styles examined (authoritative, permissive, and authoritarian) did correlate with the occupational environment, white collar, pink collar, or blue collar, in which the adults work on a day-to-day basis. The hypothesis that employment ideologies overlap into household matters determining how parents behave towards their children, in terms of rewards and discipline, is supported by the findings presented here. The statistical results once again substantiate the existing literature in revealing that parenting styles do vary as a function of parental occupational status. / Department of Sociology

As many Americans move away from the traditional homemaker-breadwinner family model, research on gender and work/family conflict has become increasingly important and the question of gender difference in experiences of work/family conflict continues to be relevant. While there is research that shows women tend to experience significantly greater work/family conflict than men, there are also studies that have shown little or no gender difference, and some that offer evidence that men are reporting more work/family conflict. This study contributes to the debate by examining gender and occupational prestige in regard to working parents' perceptions of work-to-family and family-to-work spillover, with a quantitative analysis of national probability sampled survey data from the General Social Survey's Quality of Working Life Module from the years 2006 and 2010. The findings indicate that fathers are reporting significantly more work/family conflict than mothers, and that higher prestige work is associated with greater work/family conflict, but occupational prestige has a gendered effect with work-to-family spillover and is found to be especially salient for fathers. Overall, this study demonstrates the need for policy-makers and employers to acknowledge men's parenthood. The findings are evidence that there is a need for incentivized paternity leave initiatives in the United States, as well as more universal employee work/life programs that address the barriers to fathers utilizing family-accommodating benefits.