Stereotypes of Stay-at-Home and Working Mothers

ABSTRACT

To empirically investigate the conjectured rivalry between stay-at-home mothers (SAHMs) and working mothers (WMs), we focused on stereotypes and attitudes about these two mother subgroups. In Study 1, mothers and nonmothers (N = 672) identified the content of 28 SAHM stereotypes and 21 WM stereotypes. In Study 2, different mothers and nonmothers (N = 499) reported on the stereotypes’ prevalence and valence. Principal components analyses evidenced six prevalent stereotype profiles for SAHMs and five prevalent stereotype profiles for WMs. Between-group differences (i.e., SAHMs, WMs, and nonmothers) emerged for stereotype prevalence, cognitive dimensions of ingroup/outgroup attitudes (i.e., warmth and competence), and outgroup homogeneity. These results demonstrate the combative intergroup nature of these mother subgroups and sexism surrounding the idealization of motherhood.

KEYWORDS:

• Intergroup communication
• stay-at-home mothers
• stereotypes
• warmth and competence
• working mothers

Notes

1. Items eliminated from the first iteration of the SAHM PCA due to not meeting minimum requirements were the following: dedicated, determined, flexible, happy, hardworking, no free time, independent, knowledgeable, multitasking, organized, overbearing, patient, strong, unknowledgeable, and warm. The items eliminated from the second iteration were caring, privileged, and socially isolated. The items eliminated from the third iteration were crafty and uninvolved.

2. Items eliminated from the first iteration of the WM PCA due to not meeting minimum requirements were the following: aimless; balancing work, family, and life; caregiver; caring; happy; knowledgeable; lazy; loving; organized; substandard mom; traditional; uninvolved in children’s lives; unknowledgeable; and warm. Items eliminated from the second iteration were crafty, domestic, executives of the home, independent, selfish, socially isolated, strong, work focused.