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Self-employment, work-family time and the gender division of labour

Author

Listed:
  • Lyn Craig

    (University of New South Wales, Australia)

  • Abigail Powell

    (University of New South Wales, Australia)

  • Natasha Cortis

    (University of New South Wales, Australia)

Abstract

Does being self-employed, as opposed to being an employee, make a difference to how parents with young children can balance work and family demands? Does self-employment facilitate more equal gender divisions of labour? This article uses the Australian Time Use Survey to identify associations between self-employment and mothers’ and fathers’ time in paid work, domestic labour and childcare and when during the day they perform these activities. The time self-employed mothers devote to each activity differs substantially from that of employee mothers, while fathers’ time is relatively constant across employment types. Working from home is highly correlated with self-employment for mothers, implying the opportunity to be home-based is a pull factor in mothers becoming self-employed. Results suggest mothers use self-employment to combine earning and childcare whereas fathers prioritize paid work regardless of employment type. Self-employment is not associated with gender redistribution of paid and unpaid work, although it facilitates some rescheduling.

Suggested Citation

  • Lyn Craig & Abigail Powell & Natasha Cortis, 2012. "Self-employment, work-family time and the gender division of labour," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 26(5), pages 716-734, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:26:y:2012:i:5:p:716-734
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Emma Hagqvist & Susanna Toivanen & Claudia Bernhard-Oettel, 2018. "Balancing Work and Life When Self-Employed: The Role of Business Characteristics, Time Demands, and Gender Contexts," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-20, August.
    2. Pernilla Andersson Joona, 2017. "Are mothers of young children more likely to be self-employed? The case of Sweden," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 307-333, March.
    3. Deniz Yucel, 2017. "Work-To-Family Conflict and Life Satisfaction: the Moderating Role of Type of Employment," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 12(3), pages 577-591, September.
    4. Zoe Adams & Simon Deakin, 2014. "Institutional Solutions to Precariousness & Inequality in Labour Markets," Working Papers wp463, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge.
    5. Berit Brandth, 2019. "Farmers framing fatherhood: everyday life and rural change," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 36(1), pages 49-59, March.
    6. Olawale Fatoki, 2018. "Work-Life Conflict of Native and Immigrant Entrepreneurs in South Africa," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 10(4), pages 174-184.
    7. Shin, Eun Jin, 2019. "Self-employment and travel behavior: A case study of workers in central Puget Sound," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 101-112.
    8. Marit RØNSEN, 2014. "Children and family: A barrier or an incentive to female self-employment in Norway?," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 153(2), pages 337-349, June.
    9. Zoe Adams & Simon Deakin, 2014. "Institutional Solutions to Precariousness and Inequality in Labour Markets," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 52(4), pages 779-809, December.
    10. Hundera, Mulu, 2019. "Role conflict, coping strategies and female entrepreneurial success in sub-Saharan Africa," Other publications TiSEM 3e263b0c-3bf3-474a-8a20-b, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    11. Anne Annink & Laura Dulk & Bram Steijn, 2016. "Work–Family Conflict Among Employees and the Self-Employed Across Europe," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 126(2), pages 571-593, March.
    12. Gonçalves, Judite & Martins, Pedro S., 2019. "Is the future of work childless? Self-employment and fertility," GLO Discussion Paper Series 401, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

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