Work and Family in Contemporary Society

The segregation of research in work and family life has paralleled the functional differentiation that occurred following the industrial revolution. Where the relations between work and family have been considered, relative salience, isomorphic tendencies, and the life cycle have been emphasized in explaining why a particular pattern prevails. To some extent a given pattern is explicable in terms of such antecedent individual attributes as social class, religion, or personality needs, but we argue that explanation of structured patterns in work-family relations is enhanced by the concept of task. Tasks implicitly presented to individuals during critical role transitions are dealt with according to the particular combination of personal, cultural and social determinants mobilized by the individuals concerned. Where critical transitions occur simultaneously in both work and family spheres, their mutual interdependence is highlighted, allowing the greatest freedom to choose an integrative pattern. A case study is presented to illustrate the efficacy of the task accomplishment frame of reference.