A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Christian Working Mothers' Personal Strivings

Abstract

The current study explored the motherhood strivings of 200 Christian professional mothers in the workforce and the strivings' relationship to positive affect, negative affect, satisfaction with life, interrole conflict, and the presence of psychological symptoms, in order to understand the influence of Christian subcultural factors on the experience of working Christian mothers. A mixed-methods study was conducted, including a content analysis informed by grounded theory methodology of the content of the motherhood strivings, and a quantitative analysis of how types of strivings are related to positive affect, negative affect, satisfaction with life, interrole conflict, and the presence of psychological symptoms. Qualitative analysis of the content of the motherhood themes resulted in two predominant themes: motherhood as living up to societal ideals and motherhood as embodiment of personal values. With respect to the quantitative findings, spiritual self-transcendence strivings were negatively correlated with interrole conflict. High-level, abstract strivings were positively correlated with the presence of interrole conflict, and negatively correlated with satisfaction with life. Strivings reflective of the intensive mothering ideology, specifically, the strivings that were reflective of the “entirely child centered” and “assume full responsibility” tenets of intensive mothering, were positively correlated with interrole conflict.