Entry:

Ferree, Myra Marx, "Class, Housework, and Happiness: Women's Work and Life Satisfaction," Sex Roles, 11 (December, 1984), 1057-1074.


Abstract:

The hypothesis that the ease of housewives' lives is experienced as a benefit compensating for fewer satisfactions in other areas is rejected by the data which indicate that greater time pressure is associated with greater satisfaction for housewives. Working-class women appear to be less satisfied with their lives and no more satisfied with their work than working-class women with jobs or middle-class housewives. Social desirability is found to be the major factor predicting happiness of housewives.

GSS Years:

1972-1976

Other Data Sets:

SRC 1971

GSS Codebook Variables referenced by document:

Variable Name

Variable Label

 
 
HAPPY

GENERAL HAPPINESS

LIFE

IS LIFE EXCITING OR DULL

INCOME

TOTAL FAMILY INCOME

EDUC

HIGHEST YEAR OF SCHOOL COMPLETED

MARITAL

MARITAL STATUS

SEX

RESPONDENTS SEX

AGE

AGE OF RESPONDENT

SPPRES

SPOUSES OCCUPATIONAL PRESTIGE SCORE (1970)

PRESTIGE

RS OCCUPATIONAL PRESTIGE SCORE (1970)

SPOCC

SPOUSE CENSUS OCCUPATION CODE (1970)

BABIES

HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS LESS THAN 6 YRS OLD

TEENS

HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS 13 THRU 17 YRS OLD

PRETEEN

HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS 6 THRU 12 YRS OLD

XNORCSIZ

EXPANDED N.O.R.C. SIZE CODE

WRKSTAT

LABOR FRCE STATUS

RUSHED

HOW OFTEN R FEELS RUSHED

BORED

HOW OFTEN DOES R HAVE EXTRA TIME

SPWRKSTA

SPOUSE LABOR FORCE STATUS