Beating Time/Making Time: The Impact of Work Scheduling on Men's Family Roles

Abstract

The impact of work scheduling on men's family lives is often difficult to predict. Written from the dual perspectives of clinical psychology and sociology, this paper uses two case studies to trace the consequences of work scheduling through two men's family situations. In the first case, attempts to beat time by working from noon to midnight result in unintended negative consequences for the family. In the second case, the creation of a split-shift family when a wife returns to work has the equally unintended positive effect of bringing a father closer to his children which in turn results in his efforts to make time to be with both his children and his wife. Men's work schedules are the revolving doors through which men leave and enter family relationships. Which and how many hours a man works help to determine not only the length and frequency of family interactions, but also their quality. This paper closely examines the impact of two men's work schedules on their family lives. The men were the same age, worked similar hours, and each had young children and earned similar incomes when interviewed. However, one had a working wife and the other did not. Further, their occupations, social class, and orientations to work and family differ. As we trace the effect of each man's work hours through the complex maze of his family situation, we find that for one, working an afternoon shift has unanticipated negative effects on his family relationships, while, for the other, the same shift has an equally unintended positive effect. However, in the latter case, as the man becomes more involved in his family, work scheduling again becomes an issue.