The Sandwiched generation: Multiple caregiving responsibilities and the mismatch between actual and preferred work hours

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-2011

Publication Title

Sociological Spectrum

Volume

27

Issue

4

First page number:

365

Last page number:

387

Abstract

We examine the intersection of the ‘‘Overworked American’’ and the ‘‘Sandwiched Generation.’’ Recent studies indicate that many U.S. workers would prefer to work shorter hours. For workers who are sandwiched between childcare and eldercare or who expect to be in the future, questions remain about work hour preferences. We use a representative sample and distinguish between currently sandwiched workers and those who expect to be in five years. The proportion of workers who are currently sandwiched has increased from 1992 to 2002. Further, workers who expect to be sandwiched are less likely to want to reduce their workweek hours than others.

Keywords

Child care; Hours of labor; Intergenerational relations; Older people — Care; Work and family; Workweek

Disciplines

Demography, Population, and Ecology | Family, Life Course, and Society | Work, Economy and Organizations

Language

English

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or use interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the article. Publisher copyright policy allows author to archive post-print (author’s final manuscript). When post-print is available or publisher policy changes, the article will be deposited

Publisher Citation

Jennifer Reid Keene & Anastasia H. Prokos (2007): The Sandwiched Generation: Multiple Caregiving Responsibilities And The Mismatch Between Actual And Preferred Work, Sociological Spectrum, 27:4, 365-387

UNLV article access

Search your library

Share

COinS