Stress experience and coping strategies of working mothers in dual-career marriages

Abstract

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The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between unequal distribution of domestic work among dual-earners (in a marriage) and working mothers' subjective stress experience and coping strategies. The general research question was: In what way are married working mothers in Windhoek confronted with a potentially stressful home environment; how do they evaluate their living situation; and most importantly, how do they cope with it individually? To assess the process of stress and coping, Lazarus' cognitive stress, -and-coping theory was used as the theoretical framework for this study. Only working mothers in dual-career marriages were selected by means of accidental sampling (total sample: N= 112). The study employed the strategy of combining combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Findings revealed that most respondents of households where there is an inequitable division of household work appraised this living situation as stressful. The findings showed a high correlation (0. 686 p= 0. 001) between objective stressful household situations and subjective stress experiences. In addition, the study found that most of the respondents (88. 7) used problem-focused coping strategies to cope with their stress experience. However, correlation tests between the variable psychosomatic stress experience and variables age, income and household resources of respondents, respectively did not show significant results. Also a correlation test between variable objective stressful household situation and education showed a not significant result. An unexpected result of this study was that shared decision-making power between respondents and their spouses could be found in 56 per cent of the investigated cases. 49. 1 percent of the respondents clearly showed ambivalent gender role attitudes whilst only 37. 5 percent showed traditional gender role attitudes. Contrary to expectations regarding African households with the extended family system, a relatively high number of 36. 4 percent of the respondents lived with their husband and two children only