Pavalko E K, Artis J E
Department of Sociology, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 1997 Jul;52(4):S170-9. doi: 10.1093/geronb/52b.4.s170.
Care of an ill or disabled family member or friend is disproportionately done by women and typically is done in late midlife. Because this is-also a time in the life course when women's labor force participation peaks, many women faced with caregiving demands have to decide how to balance them with their employment. In this study we use the National Longitudinal Survey (NLS) of Mature Women to examine the causal relationship between employment and caring for an ill or disabled friend or relative over a three-year period. We find that employment does not affect whether or not women start caregiving, but that women who do start are more likely to reduce employment hours or stop work. Thus, the causal relationship between employment and caregiving in late midlife is largely unidirectional, with women reducing hours to meet caregiving demands.
照顾生病或残疾的家庭成员或朋友的工作，大部分由女性承担，而且通常是在中年后期。由于这也是女性劳动力参与率在人生历程中达到峰值的时期，许多面临照顾需求的女性不得不决定如何在照顾与就业之间取得平衡。在本研究中，我们使用成熟女性全国纵向调查（NLS）来考察就业与在三年时间里照顾生病或残疾的朋友或亲属之间的因果关系。我们发现，就业并不影响女性是否开始承担照顾工作，但已经开始照顾的女性更有可能减少工作时长或停止工作。因此，中年后期就业与照顾之间的因果关系在很大程度上是单向的，即女性会减少工作时长以满足照顾需求。
