Tang Taryn. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-59). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.ii / ABSTRACT --- p.iii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.v / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vii / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.viii / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Multiple Roles --- p.2 / From Scarcity and Enhancement to Balance --- p.2 / Scarcity Theory --- p.2 / Expansion Theory --- p.3 / Role Quality --- p.4 / Moderators and Mediators --- p.7 / Identifying the Ambiguity --- p.9 / Gender Role Socialization --- p.12 / Changing Gender Roles --- p.12 / A New Synthesis --- p.15 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- STUDY1 --- p.17 / Purpose --- p.17 / Method --- p.17 / Participants and Procedures --- p.17 / Measures --- p.18 / Item Development of Gender Role Socialization --- p.18 / Gender Role Stress --- p.18 / Gender Role Orientation --- p.19 / Results --- p.20 / Exploratory Factor Analyses --- p.20 / Relationship to Other Constructs --- p.22 / Discussion --- p.23 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- STUDY2 --- p.25 / Purpose --- p.25 / Method --- p.25 / Procedures --- p.26 / Participants --- p.27 / Measures --- p.28 / Gender Role Socialization Scale --- p.28 / General Health Questionnaire --- p.29 / Role Quality --- p.29 / Analysis Plan --- p.30 / Results --- p.32 / Confirmatory Factor Analyses --- p.32 / Differences between the Three Role Combinations --- p.33 / Correlational Analyses --- p.34 / Regression Analyses --- p.36 / Discussion --- p.41 / Conclusion and Future Directions --- p.49 / REFERENCES --- p.52 / APPENDIX A Gender Role Socialization Questionnaire --- p.85 / APPENDIX B Role Quality Questionnaire --- p.88

D.Litt. et Phil. / The growing number of married women with children who enter the work force is widely documented. In addition, the last decade has seen the number of self-employed women increase dramatically. The homemaker role, which remains an important adult attainment fora large segment of the female population for at least some portion of their adult lives, has received little attention. The career of the homemaker is omitted both in the traditional definition of the labour force and by the career counselling profession. Because of the rise in women's labour force activity there has been increased concern with the psychological implications of occupying family and work roles simultaneously. Married women who obtain employment typically experience role expansion and such expansion has potential repercussions for the women themselves, for their families and for their employing institutions. Although these women are assuming the demanding role of employee, they are typically not free to relinquish any of their previous traditional roles - the major responsibility for household work and parenting chores still appears to be the province of women. Presently, the empirical evidence of the psychological effects of maternal employment is equivocal, suggesting both positive and negative effects are possible. On the one hand paid employment has been related to increased self-esteem, status and life satisfaction in working mothers. On the other hand, maternal employment has also been associated with role conflict, life dissatisfaction and family stress. A wide variety of correlates of home-career conflict has been studied. The accumulation of empirical studies has not, however, been integrated in a way which advances understanding of the interrelationships of variables associated with home-career conflict. The purpose of the present study was to investigate from within an integrated framework the relationship between work and family domains and their impact on the life satisfaction of women who re-enter the labour market, women entrepreneurs and homemakers.