Women’s experiences of combining eldercare and paid work in the Scottish food retail sector

Abstract

This paper draws upon qualitative data from a mixed-methods study to consider women’s everyday experiences of combining paid employment with informal care for older relatives. Women who participated in the study were employed in shop floor jobs in the Scottish food retail sector. We offer data and analysis of two under-researched topics, namely eldercare, and the reconciliation of unpaid caring with employment in food retailing. The paper addresses three aspects of women’s everyday experiences: managing the everyday sequencing of paid employment and unpaid care activities; anticipating contingency; planning for the long term. Throughout our analysis, we consider the implications of combining paid employment and unpaid care activities for women’s quality of life, health and well-being.

Key Words:

• care
• food retail
• lifecourse
• paid employment
• sociology of health and illness
• women