Balancing the work and family domains is an ongoing concern for men and women in dual-earner relationships. However, most of the research studies that have explored work-family balance, have been conducted within the North American context using highly educated middle-class couples. Furthermore, no known South African studies have explored work-family balance experiences and strategies based on the couple as a unit. The aim of this study is therefore to understand how middle-class South African dual-earner couples experience and pursue work-family balance. A sample comprising ten multi-racial, middle-class, heterosexual dual-earner couples with children, who work in different employment sectors, and reside in Cape Town, South Africa, were selected purposefully through the use of convenience and snow-ball sampling techniques. The interpretive approach located within the qualitative paradigm was employed to understand the subjective experiences of couples through the method of semi-structured conjoint interviews. All conjoint interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed for later analysis. Patterns and themes within the data were identified using thematic analysis and later organised through the use of thematic networks. Two organising themes were uncovered for the global theme "subjective experiences of work-family balance amongst dual-earner couples", namely that work-family balance is a unique experience, and that work-family balance is a dynamic process. Furthermore, the data analysis revealed ten organising themes for the global theme "strategies dual-earner couples use to pursue a work-family balance", namely that striving towards an egalitarian marital relationship helps to promote couples' experience of work-family balance; proactively structuring opportunities for time with family contributes to a balanced work and family life; accessing familial and paid support promotes feelings of being successful in balancing work and family roles; shared planning and organisation facilitates a better balance of work and family roles; living within means relieves couples of unnecessary financial stress; creating opportunities for "alone time" supports couples' work-family balance; work validation and satisfaction encourages greater experiences ofwork-family balance; having the ability to control one's schedule ensures greater freedom to transition between work and family domains; setting boundaries around work and family domains helps couples maintain their balance; and relying on faith to cope with work and family stressors leads to a more balanced life. Each organising theme contained several basic themes which were discussed in relation to previous literature and/or research studies. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Die doelwit van hierdie navorsing was om die ervaring van stres deur vroulike werknemers van die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens (SAPD) te ondersoek. Die Wet op Gelyke Indiensneming (Wet 55 van 1998), het vroue geïdentifiseer as deel van voorheen benadeelde groepe in ons land, Die arbeidsmark is hierdeur ook vir vroue toeganklik gemaak. Beroepsvroue word oorlaai deur veeleisende rolle. Hulle is dikwels enkelouers wat in hul beroepe gehaltewerk moet lewer terwyl hulle ook soms versorgers van familielede is. Die Werk- en Leefomstandighedevraelys (WLV) en biografiese vraelys is as navorsingsinstrumente aangewend om vlakke en oorsake van stres by SAPD-vroue te meet. Die resultate het aangedui dat beide groepe op loopbaanaangeleenthede hoë stresvlakke ervaar. Vroue in operasionele posisies het hoë stresvlakke ervaar rakende werktoerusting, organisatoriese eise, vergoeding en ander byvoordele. Vroeë loopbaangerigtheid en loopbaanbeplanning kan stres van vroulike SAPD-lede verminder. Die aanspreek van pos-spesifieke faktore kan stresvlakke van SAPD-vroue in operasionele posisies verder verlaag. / This study aimed to investigate the experience of stress among female staff of the South African Police Service (SAPS). The Employment Equity Act (Act 55 of 1998), identified females as part of previously disadvantaged groups in our country, and opened the labour market, including the SAPS, to women. Employed females are often overburdened by their demanding roles, being expected to deliver quality work in addition to bearing the responsibilities as single parents and carers for relatives. The Experience of Work and Life Circumstances Questionnaire (EWLQ) and a biographical questionnaire were utilised for measuring the levels and causes of stress among female SAPS staff. The results indicated that both groups experienced high stress levels in one dimension, namely career opportunities. Females in operational roles experienced high stress levels regarding resoures, organisational demands, remuneration and benefits. Early career orientation and planning may reduce the stress experienced by female staff of the SAPS. / Dept. of Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Bedryf- en Organisasiesielkunde)

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship that exists between emotional stability, stress and work-family conflict among Standard Bank female employees. For this purpose data was collected from the female employees of Standard Banks in Alice, Fort Beaufort, King Williams and East London Town’s in the Eastern Cape. A sample of 72 female bank employees was drawn from the population. Neuroticism is the opposite of emotional stability and it was mostly often used in place of emotional stability in the study. Results of the study indicated that all study variables are significantly positively correlated with one another. The findings of this study is helpful in the banking industry in order to design human resources policies which will reduce the work-family conflict and decrease stress for female bank employees and for future research in respective topics. The implications of this study are discussed along with recommendations for future research and professional managerial practice.

Text in English / The transition from traditional to non-traditional marital roles was brought about by changes in the political, social and economic spheres. Within this transition, a new family arrangement has emerged in which traditional marital roles of breadwinning husband and care-giving, nurturer-wife are replaced by a breadwinning wife and a care-giving, nurturer-husband, the so-called stay-at-home husband. Various factors contributed and necessitated this change in marital roles, such as, but not limited to, the feminist movement, the economic recession, changes in legislation, retrenchments and so forth. However, making this transition is not easy. These couples, fulfilling non-traditional marital roles, are faced with stigmatisation and negative attitudes that make them want to conceal their marital roles from family, friends, the community and society as a whole. This state of affairs results in a situation where these couples stay in the closet and as consequence the topic is ill-researched and ripe for further investigation. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, this study explored and described the challenges, experiences and coping resources of couples fulfilling non-traditional marital roles in order to propose practice guidelines to support these couples from a social work perspective. A total of ten couples participated in the study. Independently, the working wives and stay-at-home husbands provided separate accounts of realities related to fulfilling the non-traditional marital roles within their respective marital relationships. Themes that emerged from the in-depth description of their experiences reflected the benefits accrued, the challenges experienced, their needs and coping resources. From the information provided suggestions were derived for social workers to assist couples in a similar working wife and stay-at-home husband marriage set-up to deal with situations encountered. In consulting extant literature, research on this phenomenon appeared to be totally neglected both internationally and nationally. Hence this study sought to address this lacuna by specifically investigating the situation in South Africa. It also appeared that existing research tended to focus on either the stay-at-home mother or the dual career family. Research on the experiences of stay-at-home husbands was thus severely lacking as were ways in which such couples in these roles could be supported. Therefore, making use of the ecological and role theory perspectives, attention is given to exposing their experiences, challenges and coping resources with a view to developing practice guidelines for helping social work practitioners to adequately support these couples practising non-traditional marital roles. / Social Work / Ph. D. (Social Work)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel met hierdie navorsing is om vanuit 'n geestesgesondheidsperspektief ondersoek in te stel na die rolkonflik van die werkende moeder. Die literatuurdoelstellings behels dat rolgedrag verduidelik word. Veranderlikes binne die organisasie- en werksfeer asook farniliesfeer wat tot rolkonflik by die werkende moeder aanleiding gee is beskryf. Die groeisielkunde is vanuit die analitiese, humanistiese en eksistensiele paradigmas aangebied, ten einde 'n geestesgesonde persoonlikheidsprofiel te ontwikkel. Wat die operasionele doelstellings betref, is die veranderlikes wat tot rolkonflik aanleiding gee en die persoonlikheidsfunksionering van tien werkende moeders met hulle eerste kind, deur middel van 'n ongestruktureerde onderhoud, ondersoek. Die verband tussen rolkonflik en 'n geestesgesonde persoonlikheid is vasgestel, om te bepaal hoe geestesgesondheid die hantering van rolkonflik beinvloed. Die resultate dui daarop dat die werkende moeder, met die ervaring van haar rol as moeder, groei in haar persoonlikheidsfunksionering getoon het. Uit die resultate blyk dit dat dit 'n positiewe gesindheid teenoor loopbaan, min werksekuriteit vir die moeder wat in haar eie praktyk werksaam is, onbuigsame werksomstandighede, ondersteuning deur betekenisvolle ander, rolbeperking en hoë deurdringbaarheid tussen die moeder se moeder- en werkrol, temas is wat die rolkonflik wat die werkende moeder ervaar, en gevolglik haar geestesgesondheid, bei:nvloed. Die resultate dui daarop dat die werkende moeder konflik tussen haar moeder- en werkrol, rol as eggenote en eie tyd ervaar. Unieke veranderlikes wat tot rolkonflik lei in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, wat in die navorsing geidentifiseer is, is rolbeperking en gebrek aan werksekuriteit vir die moeder wat haar eie praktyk bedryf. Die geestesgesonde persoonlikheidsfunksionering van die werkende moeder is met die ontwikkelde persoonlikheidsprofiel vergelyk. Dit blyk dat akkurate en realistiese waarnemings van ervarings, vryheid om emosies te beleef, geloof, toekomsgerigtheid en innige interpersoonlike verhoudings die werkende moeder se geestesgesondheid positief kan beinvloed, en tot makliker hantering van rolkonflik lei. Hierteenoor blyk dit dat gebrek aan seltkennis, gebrek aan vryheid van keuse, min emosionele beheer asook onaanvaarbaarheid en onverdraagsaamheid teenoor ander, eienskappe is waar sy heelwat in haar persoonlikheidsfunksionering kan groei. Aanbevelings vir die hantering van rolkonflik deur die werkende moeder is vir die bedryfsielkundige praktyk en die werkende moeder self geformuleer, asook aanbevelings vir verdere navorsingsgeleenthede. / The aim of this research was to study the role conflict experienced by the working mother from the mental health perspective. The literature study includes a description of role behaviour as well as variables within the organisational, work and family spheres that influence role conflict. Growth psychology is presented from analytical, humanistic and existential perspectives, culminating in a profile of the mentally healthy personality. The operational aims involved an investigation of variables that influence role conflict and the personality functioning of ten working mothers who are bringing up their first child. This was conducted through unstructured interviews. This involved determining the relationship between role conflict and a mentally healthy personality, to determine how mental health facilitates coping with role conflict. The results indicate that the working mother showed growth in her personality functioning as a result of the experience of her role as mother. However, the results also indicate that a positive orientation to career, minimal job security for the mother working in her own business, inflexible working conditions, support from significant others, role restriction and high penetrability between the roles of mother and worker, are themes that influence the conflict that the working mother experiences which, in turn, influences her mental health. The working mother experiences conflict between her roles as mother, worker, spouse and individuaL Unique variables that influence role conflict in the South African context were identified, namely, role restriction and minimal job security for the mother who operates her own business. The mental personality functioning of the working mother was compared with the developed personality profile. It seems that accurate and realistic observation of experiences, freedom to express feelings, religion, future orientation and close interpersonal relationships, influence the working mother's mental health positively and lead to better coping with role conflict. In contrast she could grow in terms of the following characteristics: lack of self-knowledge, little freedom of choice, little control over emotions as well as unacceptance and intolerance of others. Recommendations were made to the industrial psychology practice and the working mother herself, on how to handle role conflict, and also regarding future research possibilities. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Comm. (Bedryfsielkunde)

The transition from traditional to non-traditional marital roles was brought about by changes in the political, social and economic spheres. Within this transition, a new family arrangement has emerged in which traditional marital roles of breadwinning husband and care-giving, nurturer-wife are replaced by a breadwinning wife and a care-giving, nurturer-husband, the so-called stay-at-home husband. Various factors contributed and necessitated this change in marital roles, such as, but not limited to, the feminist movement, the economic recession, changes in legislation, retrenchments and so forth. However, making this transition is not easy. These couples, fulfilling non-traditional marital roles, are faced with stigmatisation and negative attitudes that make them want to conceal their marital roles from family, friends, the community and society as a whole. This state of affairs results in a situation where these couples stay in the closet and as consequence the topic is ill-researched and ripe for further investigation. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, this study explored and described the challenges, experiences and coping resources of couples fulfilling non-traditional marital roles in order to propose practice guidelines to support these couples from a social work perspective. A total of ten couples participated in the study. Independently, the working wives and stay-at-home husbands provided separate accounts of realities related to fulfilling the non-traditional marital roles within their respective marital relationships. Themes that emerged from the in-depth description of their experiences reflected the benefits accrued, the challenges experienced, their needs and coping resources. From the information provided suggestions were derived for social workers to assist couples in a similar working wife and stay-at-home husband marriage set-up to deal with situations encountered. In consulting extant literature, research on this phenomenon appeared to be totally neglected both internationally and nationally. Hence this study sought to address this lacuna by specifically investigating the situation in South Africa. It also appeared that existing research tended to focus on either the stay-at-home mother or the dual career family. Research on the experiences of stay-at-home husbands was thus severely lacking as were ways in which such couples in these roles could be supported. Therefore, making use of the ecological and role theory perspectives, attention is given to exposing their experiences, challenges and coping resources with a view to developing practice guidelines for helping social work practitioners to adequately support these couples practising non-traditional marital roles. / Social Work / Ph. D. (Social Work)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel met hierdie navorsing is om vanuit 'n geestesgesondheidsperspektief ondersoek in te stel na die rolkonflik van die werkende moeder. Die literatuurdoelstellings behels dat rolgedrag verduidelik word. Veranderlikes binne die organisasie- en werksfeer asook farniliesfeer wat tot rolkonflik by die werkende moeder aanleiding gee is beskryf. Die groeisielkunde is vanuit die analitiese, humanistiese en eksistensiele paradigmas aangebied, ten einde 'n geestesgesonde persoonlikheidsprofiel te ontwikkel. Wat die operasionele doelstellings betref, is die veranderlikes wat tot rolkonflik aanleiding gee en die persoonlikheidsfunksionering van tien werkende moeders met hulle eerste kind, deur middel van 'n ongestruktureerde onderhoud, ondersoek. Die verband tussen rolkonflik en 'n geestesgesonde persoonlikheid is vasgestel, om te bepaal hoe geestesgesondheid die hantering van rolkonflik beinvloed. Die resultate dui daarop dat die werkende moeder, met die ervaring van haar rol as moeder, groei in haar persoonlikheidsfunksionering getoon het. Uit die resultate blyk dit dat dit 'n positiewe gesindheid teenoor loopbaan, min werksekuriteit vir die moeder wat in haar eie praktyk werksaam is, onbuigsame werksomstandighede, ondersteuning deur betekenisvolle ander, rolbeperking en hoë deurdringbaarheid tussen die moeder se moeder- en werkrol, temas is wat die rolkonflik wat die werkende moeder ervaar, en gevolglik haar geestesgesondheid, bei:nvloed. Die resultate dui daarop dat die werkende moeder konflik tussen haar moeder- en werkrol, rol as eggenote en eie tyd ervaar. Unieke veranderlikes wat tot rolkonflik lei in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, wat in die navorsing geidentifiseer is, is rolbeperking en gebrek aan werksekuriteit vir die moeder wat haar eie praktyk bedryf. Die geestesgesonde persoonlikheidsfunksionering van die werkende moeder is met die ontwikkelde persoonlikheidsprofiel vergelyk. Dit blyk dat akkurate en realistiese waarnemings van ervarings, vryheid om emosies te beleef, geloof, toekomsgerigtheid en innige interpersoonlike verhoudings die werkende moeder se geestesgesondheid positief kan beinvloed, en tot makliker hantering van rolkonflik lei. Hierteenoor blyk dit dat gebrek aan seltkennis, gebrek aan vryheid van keuse, min emosionele beheer asook onaanvaarbaarheid en onverdraagsaamheid teenoor ander, eienskappe is waar sy heelwat in haar persoonlikheidsfunksionering kan groei. Aanbevelings vir die hantering van rolkonflik deur die werkende moeder is vir die bedryfsielkundige praktyk en die werkende moeder self geformuleer, asook aanbevelings vir verdere navorsingsgeleenthede. / The aim of this research was to study the role conflict experienced by the working mother from the mental health perspective. The literature study includes a description of role behaviour as well as variables within the organisational, work and family spheres that influence role conflict. Growth psychology is presented from analytical, humanistic and existential perspectives, culminating in a profile of the mentally healthy personality. The operational aims involved an investigation of variables that influence role conflict and the personality functioning of ten working mothers who are bringing up their first child. This was conducted through unstructured interviews. This involved determining the relationship between role conflict and a mentally healthy personality, to determine how mental health facilitates coping with role conflict. The results indicate that the working mother showed growth in her personality functioning as a result of the experience of her role as mother. However, the results also indicate that a positive orientation to career, minimal job security for the mother working in her own business, inflexible working conditions, support from significant others, role restriction and high penetrability between the roles of mother and worker, are themes that influence the conflict that the working mother experiences which, in turn, influences her mental health. The working mother experiences conflict between her roles as mother, worker, spouse and individuaL Unique variables that influence role conflict in the South African context were identified, namely, role restriction and minimal job security for the mother who operates her own business. The mental personality functioning of the working mother was compared with the developed personality profile. It seems that accurate and realistic observation of experiences, freedom to express feelings, religion, future orientation and close interpersonal relationships, influence the working mother's mental health positively and lead to better coping with role conflict. In contrast she could grow in terms of the following characteristics: lack of self-knowledge, little freedom of choice, little control over emotions as well as unacceptance and intolerance of others. Recommendations were made to the industrial psychology practice and the working mother herself, on how to handle role conflict, and also regarding future research possibilities. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Comm. (Bedryfsielkunde)

This thesis explored the fathering practices of precariously employed African men with the study objectives including understanding: (1) how precariously employed men construct fatherhood; (2) the fathering practices considered important to them; (3) in what way precarious employment impacts on their fathering practices; and (4) how precariously employed men negotiate between their children’s economic as well as socio-emotional needs. This research focused particularly on the experiences of roadside work-seekers in Parow, Cape Town, seeking to understand how they construct fatherhood within their precarious working conditions. What these men think about fatherhood is important particularly in South Africa where not only unemployment is high, but also the rates of children growing up without their fathers. An ethnographic study was conducted during which data was collected using both participant observation and semi-structured interview methods. This thesis reports on interviews conducted with 46 men over a period of seventeen weeks. The findings reveal that the majority of roadside work-seekers are migrants (both internal and cross border) who have families to provide for. This study also revealed having children as one of the main reasons men engage in precarious work activities. Also highlighted is the extent to which precarious work impact the lives of those involved to the extent that it affects their relationships with their children, families and intimate partners. The majority of day labourers, due to being unemployed also do not live with their children, with many being denied access as a result of a breakdown in their relationship with the mother of the child, but also as a result of being unable to fulfil certain traditional requirements expected of men who impregnate women out of wedlock in some African cultures. Finally, this study confirmed the various ways in which men engaged in precarious employment are exposed to high levels of poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, violence and crime, and racism, discrimination and exploitation. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)

This thesis explored the fathering practices of precariously employed African men with the study objectives including understanding: (1) how precariously employed men construct fatherhood; (2) the fathering practices considered important to them; (3) in what way precarious employment impacts on their fathering practices; and (4) how precariously employed men negotiate between their children’s economic as well as socio-emotional needs. This research focused particularly on the experiences of roadside work-seekers in Parow, Cape Town, seeking to understand how they construct fatherhood within their precarious working conditions. What these men think about fatherhood is important particularly in South Africa where not only unemployment is high, but also the rates of children growing up without their fathers. An ethnographic study was conducted during which data was collected using both participant observation and semi-structured interview methods. This thesis reports on interviews conducted with 46 men over a period of seventeen weeks. The findings reveal that the majority of roadside work-seekers are migrants (both internal and cross border) who have families to provide for. This study also revealed having children as one of the main reasons men engage in precarious work activities. Also highlighted is the extent to which precarious work impact the lives of those involved to the extent that it affects their relationships with their children, families and intimate partners. The majority of day labourers, due to being unemployed also do not live with their children, with many being denied access as a result of a breakdown in their relationship with the mother of the child, but also as a result of being unable to fulfil certain traditional requirements expected of men who impregnate women out of wedlock in some African cultures. Finally, this study confirmed the various ways in which men engaged in precarious employment are exposed to high levels of poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, violence and crime, and racism, discrimination and exploitation. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)