The structuring of identity among midlife women as a function of their degree of involvement in employment

The place of employment and the diversity of its relations to other roles within the life structure of midlife women were investigated. Three groups were compared: Group I (n = 44) had a continuous low level of involvement in employment from their early 20s to their early 40s; Group II (n = 20) changed from low to high involvement; and Group III (n = 32) maintained a continuous high level of involvement. Retrospective reports regarding subjects' commitment to a number of different roles and feelings during their early 30s and early 40s constituted the data. Findings indicated that: (1) women in Group I had a positive, confident view of their involvement in the traditional roles of mother, wife, and volunteer; (2) women in Group II, initially quite similar to those in Group I, restructured their role commitments by substituting involvement in employment for more traditional pursuits; and (3) women in Group III successfully integrated involvement in the multiple roles of worker, mother, wife, and volunteer. Implications for a more dynamic view of identity, which takes into account significant reorganization of the life structure after adolescence and variability among diverse groups of women, are discussed.