An Integrated Perspective on Women'S Career Development Within a Family

Abstract

Optimally, a family supports the adaptive development of all its members. Although career development of adult women continues beyond the establishment of a family, it has been traditionally examined from an individual perspective. This paper attempts to integrate career, family, and developmental theories using a family developmental psychology perspective. It uses the Intersystem Model to understand the synthesis of individual, interactional, and intergenerational forces that influence the career development of women. This integrated, multilevel approach is recommended because of the complexity of the process. Case examples are given to demonstrate the conceptualization of this model.