Abstract
ABSTRACTMen and women becoming parents are supposed to have equal opportunities in working life. However, inequality and discrimination are not easily avoided. The aim of this study was to investigate how argumentation related to parenthood and careers takes form in group discussions of a fictional recruitment situation, and how stereotypes such as competence and warmth are manifested in such discussions. Thirty-five ad-hoc groups of university students were asked to make a choice between three candidates for a consultancy position. The first two candidates were a man and a woman, while the third alternately was described either as a man or a woman described as having a newborn child. Parenthood was sometimes seen as reducing competence, but it was more often viewed as adding to competence. Parenthood was also considered to add warmth to the organization. Interestingly, all groups avoided relating the parenthood issue to gender. Three conversation patterns were found, differing in the amount of elaboratio...
Highlights
It is a truism that women’s careers risk being challenged by several obstacles
In some of the groups, it was mentioned that one of the candidates was older than the others, but almost immediately another participant answered that all candidates were of a similar age
It was seen both as an advantage – “He has worked many years in the company so he will be efficient” – and as a disadvantage – “He has worked in many different companies; he will probably not stay for long”
Summary
It is a truism that women’s careers risk being challenged by several obstacles. Many of them originate in the asymmetrical roles and responsibilities that men and women traditionally have had in child rearing, where men to a greater extent have had the role of breadwinner and women the role of caregiver (Gaunt, 2013). In Sweden, mothers still use the major part of parental leave (74% compared with 26% among fathers; SCB, 2016) This may have a negative impact on performance ratings at work and salary increases (Judiesch & Lyness, 1999). In Sweden, the mean age of first-time mothers is 29 years (SCB, 2013) This certainly does not mean that women are less qualified than men, rather that women in roles traditionally predestined for men meet with prejudice and discrimination (Campbell, 2012; Teigen, 1999), especially in combination with parenthood (Cuddy, Fiske, & Glick, 2004; Guillaume & Pochic, 2007; Judiesch & Lyness, 1999). Such views are part of a broader framework of sexist ideologies
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