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Whether they work or not, moms set an example

By Dalton Conley

Ever since women entered the labor force in great numbers three decades back, mothers have gotten a raw deal -- something worth considering as we approach Mother's Day 2004.

If they work, inevitably someone makes them feel as if they are abandoning their kids. If they choose to stay home, they must apologize for not having a career.

Research study after research study has hinged upon a basic question: Is maternal employment bad for kids, neutral or even good? A study published in Child Development in 2002 showed that when mothers work -- particularly during the first year of a child's life -- it may result in lower cognitive achievement and increased behavioral problems. However, another study -- published in the prestigious journal Science -- claimed that for moms with lower income levels, leaving their kids in day care to enter the workforce was beneficial.

Wrong question

Perhaps this mishmash of results is a consequence of asking the wrong question. Maybe we should ask: How does maternal employment affect children differently within the family?

In a recent study, I found that when the mother worked while her children were growing up, adult daughters and sons attained jobs that were more equivalent to each other. But when the mother did not work -- and, therefore, daughters lacked a direct, same-sex parental role model in the world of careers -- sisters fared far worse than their brothers in long-term socioeconomic outcomes.

In other words, working moms seem to be serving a dual function of role model and mentor for their daughters. For example, my data show that women whose mothers did not work outside the home when they were growing up are 15% less likely to have graduated from college than their brothers.

To put the impact of maternal employment in even starker terms, consider the following: For those whose mothers worked outside the home when they were growing up, the income differential between sisters and brothers is essentially nil -- but for those whose mothers did not work, the income differential shoots to more than $8,000 per year.

Family values

This is powerful knowledge for all types of families. If a mom values the traditional role of homemaker, then she can inculcate these values into her daughter, though given the increasing economic demands for two-working-parent households, fewer daughters can take this route. If the mother values achievement in the world of career, she can set an example in the professional world.

What about sons in this equation? Moms don't seem to have much of an impact on their sons as role models; boys most likely pattern off their dads.

Of course, the real question is why men get a free pass to work and get extra credit for doing child care. But that is another story entirely.

Dalton Conley is director of the Center for Advanced Social Science Research at New York University and author of The Pecking Order: Which Siblings Succeed and Why.