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Occupational Conditions, Socializing at Work, and Informal Social Support: Different Dynamics for Men and Women
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OCCUPATIONAL CONDITIONS, SOCIALIZING AT WORK, AND INFORMAL SOCIAL SUPPORT: DIFFERENT DYNAMICS FOR MEN AND WOMEN Shira Offer and Barbara Schneider, University of Chicago
Longer work hours and increasing job demands have raised questions about the extent to which the workplace constitutes a context for socializing and obtaining informal social support. Using data from the 500 Family Study we find that frequent socializing at work is not related to informal social support. Results from Hierarchical Linear Modeling analyses further indicate that the role of socializing at the workplace differs by gender, suggesting that unlike men, women do not convert feelings of sociability into strategic action that promotes their professional interests. Policy implications are discussed, especially the need of organizations to establish formal support mechanisms for workers.
INTRODUCTION
Changes in the nature of work and the organization of the workplace have created
new challenges for workers in many sectors of the labor market and for their families.
Longer work hours, declining job security, nonstandard work schedules, and extended
commutes (Carnoy, 2000; Mishel, Bernstein, & Schmitt, 2001) have brought about new
sources of stress, created great role overload, and made it more difficult for working
parents to successfully balance work and family demands. Many scholars believe that in
addition to changes in work conditions in the last two decades, the meaning of work has
also been radically altered. These scholars emphasize the central role that work plays in
the lives of individuals in contemporary society and argue that the workplace has, to a
large extent, replaced more traditional types of communities, such as kin, friends, and
neighbors (e.g., Hochschild, 1997; Poarch, 1998). According to this view, the workplace
has also become a major source of friendship and support for workers.
Others, however, argue that people are not more likely to socialize at work today
than they were in past generations, nor are social ties with co-workers more supportive
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| | Authors: Offer, Shira. and Schneider, Barbara. |
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1
OCCUPATIONAL CONDITIONS, SOCIALIZING AT WORK, AND INFORMAL
SOCIAL SUPPORT: DIFFERENT DYNAMICS FOR MEN AND WOMEN
Shira Offer and Barbara Schneider, University of Chicago
Longer work hours and increasing job demands have raised questions about the extent to
which the workplace constitutes a context for socializing and obtaining informal social
support. Using data from the 500 Family Study we find that frequent socializing at work
is not related to informal social support. Results from Hierarchical Linear Modeling
analyses further indicate that the role of socializing at the workplace differs by gender,
suggesting that unlike men, women do not convert feelings of sociability into strategic
action that promotes their professional interests. Policy implications are discussed,
especially the need of organizations to establish formal support mechanisms for workers.
INTRODUCTION
Changes in the nature of work and the organization of the workplace have created
new challenges for workers in many sectors of the labor market and for their families.
Longer work hours, declining job security, nonstandard work schedules, and extended
commutes (Carnoy, 2000; Mishel, Bernstein, & Schmitt, 2001) have brought about new
sources of stress, created great role overload, and made it more difficult for working
parents to successfully balance work and family demands. Many scholars believe that in
addition to changes in work conditions in the last two decades, the meaning of work has
also been radically altered. These scholars emphasize the central role that work plays in
the lives of individuals in contemporary society and argue that the workplace has, to a
large extent, replaced more traditional types of communities, such as kin, friends, and
neighbors (e.g., Hochschild, 1997; Poarch, 1998). According to this view, the workplace
has also become a major source of friendship and support for workers.
Others, however, argue that people are not more likely to socialize at work today
than they were in past generations, nor are social ties with co-workers more supportive
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