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ABSTRACT
Academic literature exploring the experiences and needs among women in the social work professorate has yet to explore the ways in which work-life and family-life are compatible, including work-life enrichment and job satisfaction. To remedy this empirical gap, the current descriptive exploratory study of 504 female tenure-track social work academics investigates components essential to job satisfaction, which are also important to work-life enrichment. A particular emphasis is placed on differences and similarities between women who have dependent children (e.g., under 18 and in the home), women who have adult children, and women who have no children. Data were collected using an on-line survey of social work faculty working at CSWE accredited programs. Variables explored include professional connectedness, workplace empowerment, career satisfaction, and stress. The most salient finding is that having dependent children is not a detriment to factors essential for successful work-life enrichment and job satisfaction, even though overall stress is higher. The three groups have more similarities than differences. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are addressed.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Catherine A. Simmons
Catherine A. Simmons, PhD, LCSW is a Professor at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and serves as both the Social Work Chair and the Master of Social Work (MSW) Program Director. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Simmons spent 10 years as an Air Force officer leading family violence, substance abuse, and mental health programs. The author/editor of two books and over 60 professional papers, her research interest includes interpersonal violence, measurement, strengths-based interventions, career trajectories and issues pertaining to gender, trauma, and violence.
Eugenia L. Weiss
Eugenia L. Weiss, PsyD, MSW, MA, is Clinical Professor at the University of Southern California (USC), Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work teaching in the masters and doctoral courses and served as director of two academic centers and as associate dean of faculty affairs. Her research interests are in military/veteran behavioral health, leadership, women's studies and diversity/ equity in higher education.
Sara L. Schwartz
Sara L. Schwartz, PhD, MSW is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. Her areas of research focus on community building in diverse environments to include social work academia, virtual education, organizations and historically marginalized groups impacted by HIV/AIDS.
Denise McLane-Davison
Denise McLane-Davison, PhD is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. Her research centers on Africana Womanist Epistemology, HIV/AIDS, social work leadership and international and African studies. She is the National Archivist for the National Association of Black Social Workers.