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European Sociological Review Advance Access originally published online on October 3, 2008
European Sociological Review 2009 25(3):333-348; doi:10.1093/esr/jcn052
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Wishes or Constraints? Mothers’ Labour Force Participation and its Motivation in Switzerland

Michèle Ernst Stähli, Jean-Marie Le Goff, René Levy and Eric Widmer

Jean-Marie Le Goff, Centre PAVIE (Centre for life course and lifestyle studies), Bâtiment Vidy, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Email: jean-marie.legoff{at}unil.ch
René Levy, Centre PAVIE (Centre for life course and lifestyle studies), Bâtiment Vidy, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Email: rene.levy{at}unil.ch
Eric Widmer, Université de Genève, Bâtiment Uni-Mail, 1211 Genéve, Switzerland. Email: eric.widmer{at}unige.ch

Correspondence: Michèle Ernst Stähli (to whom correspondence should be addressed), Centre PAVIE (Centre for life course and lifestyle studies), Bâtiment Vidy, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Email: mernststaehli{at}bluewin.ch

The aim of this article is to estimate the impact of various factors related to role conflict theory and preference theory on the reduction of women's labour force participation after their transition to parenthood. Objective and subjective dimensions of women's labour force participation are assessed. The empirical test is based on a survey of couples with children in Switzerland. Results show that compared to structural factors associated with role conflict reduction, preferences have little impact on mothers’ labour force participation, but explain a good deal of their frustration if the factual situation does not correspond to their wishes. Structural factors, such as occupation, economic resources, childcare, and an urban environment, support mothers’ labour force participation, whereas active networks and a home centred lifestyle preference help them to cope with frustrations.

Manuscript received: October 1, 2007.


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