Mothers- and Fathers-to-Be: The Next Generation of Planning and Career-Family Conflict

Abstract

Newspaper reports of female college seniors modifying their career plans to opt out of work before they enter the workforce challenge the assumption that because many recent college graduates were raised in dual-income families, they would expect to have a substantial workforce role. Using a questionnaire format, this study examines postgraduation plans of 131 seniors at a West Coast Christian university to identify development of career, marriage, and family plans and the degree to which they have prepared strategies for potential conflicting responsibilities. The potential effects of educational background are explored through a comparison to seniors at a highly selective East Coast university. The results validated the hypothesis that female students think more about the need for flexibility and possible time away from career than male counterparts. The women in this study did not opt out of the workforce but were considering other lifestyle modifications such as not getting married and not having children.