Rhona Rapoport

Bio: Rhona Rapoport is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Personal life & Work (electrical). The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 10 publications receiving 933 citations.

The constraints of a ‘work–life balance’ approach: an international perspective

Abstract: Locating work–life balance discourse in time and place The huge recent growth in attention to ‘work–life balance’(WLB) dilemmas in academic, political, professional and popular literature might give the impression that this is, at best, a new area of concern, or at worst, a passing fad. This would, however, be misleading. The WLB metaphor is a social construct located within a particular period of time and originating in a Western context, but dilemmas relating to the management of paid work alongside other parts of life, especially family, have been the focus of research for several decades (see, e.g., Rapoport and Rapoport, 1965). Research on this topic has always reflected social, economic and workplace developments and concerns, shifting in response to new trends. For example, as the numbers of women entering the labour force grew, from the 1960s, research in certain contexts tended to focus on ‘working mothers’ or dual earner families, while concerns about stress and burnout associated with workplace changes in the 1980s and 1990s were reflected in research and debate about work–family conflict (Lewis and Cooper, 1999). The terminology used to refer to these issues continues to evolve in response to current concerns. In particular, a shift from ‘work–family’ and ‘family-friendly policies’ with their implicit focus on women, especially mothers, to ‘work–life’, the precursor of the more recent ‘work–life balance’ (WLB) discourse began in the 1990s. This linguistic shift reflected a broader and more inclusive way of framing the debate to engage men and women with and without children or other caring commitments and was partly a response to backlash against work–family policies by those without obvious family obligations.

The Myth of Work-Life Balance: The Challenge of Our Time for Men, Women and Societies

Abstract: About the Authors. Foreword by Robert B. Reich. Foreword by Tripti P. Desai. Acknowledgements. Prologue Global Stories from the Front Line. PART I: Setting the Scene. Chapter 1: A Pivotal Challenge in the Global Context. Chapter 2: Evolutions and Developments in Seven Countries. Chapter 3: Thinking about Change at Multiple Levels. PART II: Making the Connections. Chapter 4: The Invasiveness of Paid Work. Chapter 5: Care and Connections: Families, Communities, Friendships and Care of the Self. Chapter 6: Reciprocal Relationships Between Men and Women: A Critical Issue. PART III: Moving Forwards. Chapter 7: Visions and Strategies for Change. References. Index.

Reflections on the integration of paid work and the rest of life

Abstract: Despite a wealth of research and policy initiatives on “work‐family”, “work‐life balance” or what we prefer to call work‐personal life integration, societies seem stuck about how to make equitable, satisfactory and sustainable changes in the ways in which paid work can be combined with the rest of life. So what is holding back satisfactory change? And how can people move beyond this apparent deadlock in workplaces and other institutions and really go forward? This paper looks at some of the reasons why issues about work‐personal life integration have become so pressing and then reflects on implications for working towards more fundamental changes at many different levels. It highlights sticking points holding back change and argues that these could be developed into new levers for change by emphasising the need to rethink and question many deeply held – but outdated – assumptions about working practices, families, culture and personal lives.

Evolutions and Approaches to Equitable Divisions of Paid Work and Care in Three European Countries: a Multi-level Challenge

Abstract: Despite growing numbers of women in the labour force, and varying national policies and workplace policies developed to support the reconciliation of paid work and family life, progress towards gender equity remains uneven and painfully slow across Europe. In this chapter we define gender equity in terms of a fair distribution of paid and unpaid work and of both opportunities and constraints, between men and women (Rapoport & Rapoport, 1971, 1975).1 We conceptualise progress (or lack of it) towards gender equity as part of an evolutionary process of change that takes place at many levels and proceeds in different ways and at different rates across national contexts. National policies are an essential part of the process but are not sufficient. Related changes are needed at individual, relational, workplace and wider societal levels. At the workplace level there is now much evidence that policies alone do not bring about changes in structures, cultures and practices needed to enable equitable sharing of paid work and care among men and women (Brandth & Kvande, 2001, 2002; Crompton, 1999; Haas & Hwang, 1995; Lewis, 1997, 2001; Rapoport et al., 2002). At the individual and relational levels, research tends to focus on the division of domestic labour (see Oakley, 1974 for an early example), but less attention has been paid to the evolutionary and multi-level process of reciprocal change between men and women.

Doing more with less? Flexible working practices and the intensification of work

Abstract: This article examines an unanticipated consequence of adopting flexible working practices - that of work intensification. Based on a study of professional workers and in line with other studies, we present evidence showing that flexible workers record higher levels of job satisfaction and organizational commitment than their non-flexible counterparts. However, we also report evidence of work intensification being experienced by both those who work reduced hours and those who work remotely. We identify three means by which this intensification occurs - imposed intensification, enabled intensification and intensification as an act of reciprocation or exchange. We argue that the apparent paradox of high job satisfaction and organizational commitment, alongside work intensification can be explained by employees trading flexibility for effort. Using social exchange theory we propose that employees respond to the ability to work flexibly by exerting additional effort, in order to return benefit to their employer.

The constraints of a ‘work–life balance’ approach: an international perspective

Abstract: Locating work–life balance discourse in time and place The huge recent growth in attention to ‘work–life balance’(WLB) dilemmas in academic, political, professional and popular literature might give the impression that this is, at best, a new area of concern, or at worst, a passing fad. This would, however, be misleading. The WLB metaphor is a social construct located within a particular period of time and originating in a Western context, but dilemmas relating to the management of paid work alongside other parts of life, especially family, have been the focus of research for several decades (see, e.g., Rapoport and Rapoport, 1965). Research on this topic has always reflected social, economic and workplace developments and concerns, shifting in response to new trends. For example, as the numbers of women entering the labour force grew, from the 1960s, research in certain contexts tended to focus on ‘working mothers’ or dual earner families, while concerns about stress and burnout associated with workplace changes in the 1980s and 1990s were reflected in research and debate about work–family conflict (Lewis and Cooper, 1999). The terminology used to refer to these issues continues to evolve in response to current concerns. In particular, a shift from ‘work–family’ and ‘family-friendly policies’ with their implicit focus on women, especially mothers, to ‘work–life’, the precursor of the more recent ‘work–life balance’ (WLB) discourse began in the 1990s. This linguistic shift reflected a broader and more inclusive way of framing the debate to engage men and women with and without children or other caring commitments and was partly a response to backlash against work–family policies by those without obvious family obligations.

Work–life initiatives and organizational change: Overcoming mixed messages to move from the margin to the mainstream

Abstract: This article examines perspectives on employer work—life initiatives as potential organizational change phenomena. Work—life initiatives address two main organizational challenges: structural (flexible job design, human resource policies) and cultural (supportive supervisors, climate) factors. While work—life initiatives serve a purpose in highlighting the need for organizational adaptation to changing relationships between work, family, and personal life, we argue they usually are marginalized rather than mainstreamed into organizational systems. We note mixed consequences of work—life initiatives for individuals and organizations. While they may enable employees to manage work and caregiving, they can increase work intensification and perpetuate stereotypes of ideal workers. In order to advance the field, organizations and scholars need to frame both structural and cultural work—life changes as part of the core employment systems to enhance organizational effectiveness and not just as strategies to supp...

Body Projects of Young Women of Color in Physics: Intersections of Gender, Race, and Science

Abstract: Most research on underrepresented members in science focuses on gender or on race/ethnicity, ignoring intersections embodied by women of color. This article, which draws from a qualitative, longitudinal study, addresses this gap by focusing on ten minority female physics students who negotiate three incongruent realms: field of study, gender, and race/ethnicity. It examines ways in which these students sense that their belonging and competence in science are questioned because their bodies do not conform to prevalent images of the “ordinary” white male physicist. To persevere in physics, they engage in bodily projects of (1) approximating ordinariness through fragmentation, which entails using strategies of racial or gendered “passing,” or (2) rejecting these practices in favor of multiplicity, which entails employing stereotype manipulation or performances of superiority. By highlighting accounts of individuals who persevere in the elite physics field, this article provides insight into how university departments should reform to promote more women and underrepresented minorities in science.

Editorial: work-life balance: a matter of choice?

Abstract: Work–life balance has come to the forefront of policy discourse in developed countries in recent years, against a backdrop of globalization and rapid technological change, an ageing population and concerns over labour market participation rates, particularly those of mothers at a time when fertility rates are falling (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2004). Within the European Union the reconciliation of work and family has become a core concern for policy and encouraged debate and policy intervention at national levels.