Do employed and nonemployed Korean mothers experience different levels of psychological well-being in relation to their gender role attitudes and role qualities?

Abstract

A sample of 558 Korean mothers completed aquestionnaire survey where social structural variables,gender role attitudes, and role qualities were examinedas predictors of psychological well-being. Results showed that employed mothers did not differ intheir psychological well-being according to theirchildren's gender while nonemployed mothers with atleast one son showed greater psychological well-being than those without a son. Demonstrating theimportance of congruency between women's attitudestoward gender role and their current roles, employedmothers with more liberal gender role attitudes showed greater well-being while nonemployed motherswith more traditional attitudes showed higher levels ofwell-being. Last, although all role qualities werepositively related to mothers' well-being in both groups, the significance of wife role qualityin determining mothers' well-being was salient inemployed group.