Chapter-3

Statement of the Problem

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 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

“The domestic slavery of woman is a symbol of our

barbarism. It is high time that our womankind was freed from
this incubus. Domestic work ought not to take whole of women’s
time” ( Mahatma Gandhi, 1958).

“Professionalism” among women all over the world is still young.

Societal expectations and their entrusted roles for women made them
far behind in taking to profession. As a result, women’s opportunities in
various professions remained limited. The rapid industrialization and
scientific-Technological era have brought complexity in all spheres of
life. This complexity created new situations and new ways of thinking in
which women’s roles and their personality are changing very rapidly
due to various environmental effects. Therefore it is pertinent that
women must be equipped to cope with the new demands and increase
their awareness, resources and opportunities for effective participations
and decision making.

There is no profession that remains a bastion of men. Women are

now set to outshine men in their occupational achievements. Indian
women are now employed in diverse types of jobs, be Doctor, Teacher,
Lawyer, Engineer etc.

Despite remarkable achievements of Indian women, traditional

values seem to exert a great restricting influence on female
employment. Indian society considers women as the central element of
the family structure. That is why women’s entry into any profession has
a direct bearing on the very foundations of traditional relations.
Working women are in no way relieved from their household chores. “In
accordance with established customs it is only the women who must
prepare food, an exceptionally laborious process in Indian conditions,

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store and preserve vegetables and fruit and other products, wash the
dishes, clean the house and to do all laundry.”

Working women of today are, therefore, doing a double shift,

which consists of taking care of the house, the husband, the children,
the In-laws, or brothers and sisters on the one hand, and the work for
which they get the wages on the other hand, outside the periphery of
their duties as housewives. They are expected to play the traditional
role of housewives along with bringing money for the family. These dual
expectations affects mental and physical health of working women.

She is required to perform two roles, jobs and house keeping.

While the time at her disposal is the same. She is caught in the
problems of family responsibilities and demands of the job. Because of
lack of time support and encouragement from the family she fails to do
justice to her job as well as meet all family and social obligations. This
may reflect upon her family roles, mental health & life satisfaction.

It may be assumed that the problem of a working women is not

only the problem of over burden of duties, but is also the problem of her
psychological acceptance of the changed circumstances. If women with
a job and a family feel torn between them, as they very often do, their
dilemma is not of conflicting rights but rather one of conflicting
loyalties. They have willingly accepted their two responsibilities as
workers and homemaker their problem is how to harmonize the two.

Here are in short few most relevant researches in relation to focus

of present work.

Gordon, Judith R.; Whelan-Berry, Karen S. (2004); Studied

that Women on average still have more responsibility for home, family
life, and child care than men. Differences exist in women’s perceptions
of how spouses or partner family finances, support the women’s

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careers, contribute to household management, and provide
interpersonal support. Specific roles and the resulting support are
related to the life satisfaction, job satisfaction, and work-life balance.

Melies et. al. (1992); Studied spousal role satisfactions, stress

and coping of 54 women clerks. These women characterized their
spousal satisfaction in relations terms and identified companionship
and communication with their partners as pleasing. They also enjoyed
feeling loved and offering nurturance to please their partners.

Neeta Gupta and Archana Shukla (2005); The results also

revealed significant gender differences in spillover and ‘compensatory’
type of work family relationship which suggested that husbands more
than wives integrated their work and family as ‘spillover’ while wives
more than husbands integrated their work and family spheres as
compensatory. No other gender differences were obtained in rest of the
work family integration types.

Moen (2000); Women dual earner arrangements has reported

more stress and overload as well as lower levels of coping mastery than
men.

McLaughlin, Katrina (2003); The findings indicate that gender

differences, In the way women and men experience parenthood remain
evident. For the most part, women experience more conflict and strain
between their life roles than men.

Thorstad, Roxane Renee (2003); Participants gave examples of

how they continue planning for the needs of the household before,
during and after work, more so than their husbands. However, there
was also evidence that some husbands were becoming more flexible in
their roles and alleviating the strain on their wives, who were trying to
meet the needs of their career and children concurrently.

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 A study, "Indian Women Today", by Khanna &: Verghese (1978)
examines various aspects of the lives of educated working and non-
working women. This study points out that employment outside the
home represents a major role innovation for married women. This study
indicates some change in the traditional norms that govern the man-
woman division of role responsibilities that resulted in the emergence of
the egalitarian authority pattern. This study further finds that
education and economic independence are the two important factors
that help women to enjoy their rights. This study also reveals that
women from lower strata take up employment purely for economic
reasons. Women from upper strata, whereas, accept jobs for economic
and for socio-psychological reasons also.

Bhattacharjee and Bhatt (1983) state that adjustment, in the

case of women, is a function of their personality traits, expectations,
and perceptions combined with those of their husbands and family
members. It happens irrespective of their employment status.

Kaur (1983) in her study "Status of Hindu Women in India"

concludes that Hindu women are in the process of changing their
values in the direction of modernity. The change is deserved especially
in religious observances, marital relations, and entering employment.
However, she concluded that a change in the values of women can not
be effective unless a change also comes in the attitude of men towards
women.

The present study attempts to investigate the professional

women’s family roles, mental health & life satisfaction in their
profession and also to probe how they are adjusting various aspect of
life.

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3.1 PROBLEM

To study the effect of family roles; Help or Hindrance in three

groups of professional young and middle aged women and men in Doon
Valley.

3.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The study has been designed with the following specific

objectives, these are:

1. To trace out the psychological factors leading to role conflict in

the family of professional women.
2. To study the effect of role-conflict upon professional satisfaction
levels, mental health and life satisfaction upon professional
women.
3. To find out the psychological factors which influence the family to
cooperate with the professional women and its problems.
4. To make a comparative study of life satisfaction levels on women
and men’s three professions in two age groups.
5. To find out the effect of the age on life satisfaction & Mental
health of professional men and women.

3.3 VARIABLES

In correlational researches variables qualify with equal

appropriateness both as independent and dependent variables, because
there is no direct manipulation with equal rationality as an independent
or dependent variables. Its role is determined by the researchers point
of view. The main variables of the study are shown here.

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Independent Variables

The variable, in an experiment or survey, that exercise an effect

on a dependent variable.

a. Professions
b. Gender
c. Age

Dependent Variables

The variable, in an experiment or survey that affected, or subject

to being affected, by the independent variable.

a. Role effects: Role conflict.

b. Mental health pattern.
c. Life satisfaction level

3.4 HYPOTHESES

A conditioned statement relating the expected effects of one

variable on another, that can be subject to testing. A hypothesis looks
forward, it is a proposition which can be put to a test to determine its
validity. It may see contrary to, or in accord with, common sense. It
may prove to be correct or incorrect. In any event, however, it leads to
an empirical test. Whatever the outcome, hypothesis is the question put
in such a way that an answer of some kind can be forthcoming. It is an
example of an organized skepticism of science, the refusal to accept any
statement without empirical verification.

In the present study, we have made mixed hypothesis, some are

Null and some are Statement types.

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Hypotheses as Statements

1. Family is a hindrance rather then a support to the working

women.
2. Increase in professional role leads to decrease in life satisfaction
of professional women.
3. Patterns of mental Health of professional and non-professional
women will be different.
4. Young aged and middle aged women will differ on family role
problems.
5. Gender differences will be found in life satisfaction dimensions
among young and middle aged groups of women and men.
6. Age effects will be found in life satisfaction of both the groups of
males and females on three groups of profession.
7. Age will also influence the life satisfaction of professional and
non-professional women.
8. There will be differential pattern of five factors of family roles
among three groups of professions of women.
9. Professional demand will lead to role conflict.
10. Work will influence life satisfaction in all groups of professional
women.
11. Non-working women will have no role conflict.
12. Age effect will be found on role dimensions of three professional
groups of males & females.
13. Gender difference will be found in mental health dimensions
among young and middle aged males & females.

Null Hypotheses

Null hypothesis asserts that there is no true difference between

two populations. Differences, found between sample are therefore
accidental and unimportant.

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HO 14- There will be no significant difference between family role
factors among young and middle aged males and females of
profession.

HO 15- There will be no significant difference between mental health

dimensions of young and middle aged groups of men and women of
profession.

3.5 FUNCTIONAL DEFINITIONS OF THE TERMS USED

The behavior scientist, like all other, scientist, has to record and
communicate this observation and findings to other scientists. For this
purpose it is necessary to define operationally all terms and concepts
that may seen ambiguous or controversial.

Runkell and McGrath (1972) State “To observe a property

systematically it is necessary to select one or more specific observable
conditions or events to be taken as instances or indication of the
property. The technical term for a class of observable things or events
selected as instances of an observable concept is operational definition”.
An operational definition says “ do such and such and in so and so
manner”. It defines or gives meaning to the variable by spelling out
what the investigator must do to measure the variable” (Kerlinger
1973)

There are two types of operational definitions:

1. Experimental Operational Definition:

It defines a term by describing how the term’s referent is
manipulated.

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2. Measured Operational Definition:
It defines a term by describing the procedure by which a referent
of the term is measured.

DEFINITIONS

Profession

Profession is an evaluative term describing the most prestigious

occupations which may be termed professions if they carry out an
essential social service, are founded on systematic knowledge, require
lengthy academic and practical training, have high autonomy, a code of
ethics and generate in service growth. Teaching, Medical and Law
should be judged as a profession on these criteria.

Professional Women

Professional women in this study means those women who are

gainfully employed in different professions, particularly teaching,
medical and law.

Conflict

The collision of counterposed, incompatible tendencies in the

consciousness of an individual, in interpersonal, interaction or
interpersonal relations of individuals or groups of people associated
with sharply negative emotional experiences. The simultaneous
occurrence of two or more mutually antagonistic impulses or motives.

Family

A group of individuals related by marriage or blood, typically

including a father, mother and the children.

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Mental Health

(WHO, 1964) defines mental health as a state of good adjustment

with a subjective state of well being, zest for living and the feeling that
one is exercising his talents and abilities.

Satisfaction

A state of pleasantness and well being, consequent upon having

achieved a goal.

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