Accommodating Employees with Hidden Disabilities

Activity Description:

This website provides examples of sample accommodations that were created by employees with disabilities and employers in various employment situations.

To access this resource, visit:

http://www.jan.wvu.edu/

Activity Source:

Americans with Disabilities Act and accommodating employees with hidden disabilities. International Journal of Humanities and Peace Annual 2003, 19(1), p. 98.

 

Advocating for Family-Friendly Benefits

Activity Description:

Author: Catherine White Berheide, Skidmore College

Objective:

This paper serves as a culmination of your work this semester. Drawing on your interviews, the data the class collected on the family friendly benefits of employers in the United States, and the course readings, develop a proposal for making the employer of your choosing (either real or fictitious) into a family friendly workplace. To write this proposal, you will need to draw heavily on your previous papers (although I strongly advise you to rewrite them before including them in this paper).

 

Format:

In the first section of your proposal, you need to identify what the problem is. To write this section, you need to draw heavily on the course readings and your previous interviews and/or new ones. Be sure to consider it from the point of view of the employees who are parents (or prospective parents) as well as those who are not (but might have other family concerns such as an elderly parent) and from the point of view of your company.

In the second section, you need to describe the range of options that are either in place here or abroad or have been proposed for making workplaces in the United States family friendly. To increase the likelihood that your proposal will be adopted, you want to highlight which kinds of family friendly benefits are being adopted by which kinds of employing organizations.

Finally, in the last section, you want to indicate which family friendly benefits you recommend your employing organization adopt. As in the previous paper, the company can be a real one, perhaps one you studied for your second paper or it could be a company for which one of the parents you interviewed works, or it could be a company of your own creation.

The paper can be up to ten pages long (typed and double-spaced with normal margins and type font), but top executives are more likely to read short reports, so brevity is a virtue. Include a reference page listing any of the course readings referred to in the paper. Footnote (using the internal citation format) any direct quotations or paraphrasing. Be sure you cite the exact reading to which you are referring and not the editors of the book from which the reading comes.

Activity Source:

Adapted by Jane Case from Berheide, C.W. (2006). “Work, Family, and Organizations” Syllabus.

After School Action Kit

Activity Description:

From the Afterschool Alliance. “A useful tool for parents, community members or practitioners, the Kit gives advice on finding or starting a quality program, identifying program needs and what resources to tap for help. Available in PDF format in English and Spanish.”

Please click here to access the PDFs: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/loaEventKit.cfm.

Activity Source:

Afterschool Alliance. (n.d.) Afterschool action kit. Retrieved August 31, 2006, from http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/loaEventKit.cfm.

After School Training Toolkit

Activity Description:

From the National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning. “This toolkit is designed to give afterschool program directors and instructors the resources they need to build fun, innovative, and academically enriching activities that not only engage students, but extend their knowledge in new ways and increase academic achievement.”

Please access the Toolkit at http://www.sedl.org/afterschool/toolkits/.

Activity Source:

National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning. (2006). Afterschool training toolkit. Retrieved August 31, 2006 from http://www.sedl.org/afterschool/toolkits/.

 

Alienation and Control

Activity Description:

Purpose: Exploring the relevance of Weber’s concept of the “iron cage” in modern work contexts and work-family relations

Steps:

Consider Weber’s famed critique of modern capitalists at the conclusion of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (“sensualists without heart, specialists without spirit” condemned to labor in the “iron cage” of modernity). Scenes from Chaplin’s Modern Times (the assembly line) or Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (the clock crucifixion, for example) might stimulate class discussion on the “iron cage” metaphor.

This commentary might be a helpful point of departure for class discussions of the symbolic organization of the modern workplace, perhaps supplemented by Ritzer’s (1993) analysis of the “McDonaldization” of modern society or Leidner 1993 on high-speed service industries.

Do Weber’s fundamentals still apply in an era of customization, participative self-managing teams, and fast capitalism? (Barker, 1993; Gee et al., 1996; Bauman, 2000)

Writing in the early 20th century, Weber argued that the modern business ethos (founded on “worldly asceticism”) is a transformation of the medieval monastery, cloistered away from the domestic economy and processes of biological and family reproduction. Students might discuss the extent to which, a century later, modern work experiences still are shaped by this fundamental contrast between “work” and “family” concerns.

Activity Source:

Content contributed by Mark Auslander.

Analysis of Family Rituals in the Media

Activity Description:

Purpose

To encourage students to reflect on the connections between rites of passage and family transitions

Steps

Film and television clips are often helpful in encouraging students to reflect on the ideological features of family rituals, as well as the nature of mass media representations of these complex events.

For example, my students have responded with lively discussion to the Thanksgiving scene in Barry Levinson’s Avalon, in which one branch of the family cuts the turkey before another branch arrives, leading to a long running family feud. Readings from Babcock’s edited volume The Reversible World might be discussed in conjunction with film clips of weddings scene, a perennial Hollywood favorite.

Explore questions, such as:

In what respects do interstitial times and spaces in ritual frames intensify the comedy or poignancy inherent in fraught social predicaments?

How do highly circumscribed performance arenas, ostensibly divorced from ordinary life, enable implicit commentary about the wider social world?

 

Why are accidents or acts of semiotic subversion within ritual frames so compelling?

Interrupted wedding scenes, in films ranging from It Happened One Night to The Graduate might be screened and compared: what precisely is a stake in these scenarios?

Students might also be encouraged to surf the web and interpret sites documenting family rituals; what kinds of explicit and implicit narratives about weddings, reunions or holiday festivities are told on line?

Activity Source:

Content contributed by Mark Auslander.

Analysis of Work and Family Trends

Activity Description:

Introduction:

Over the past two weeks, you have become more familiar with some of the demographic changes occurring over time in both employment and family life, as well as the implications of these changes. One of the central tasks of social scientists interested in work-family issues is the ability to identify questions or problems that are important, find data that speak to these questions or problems, and interpret the data to better understand the experiences of contemporary working individuals and families. The overall goal of this assignment is to help you develop these skills and to look more closely at some of the trends described in the Wharton and Marks readings as well as the readings from week 1. Please double-check your numeric totals and proofread your work carefully as I will be grading on both content and presentation of ideas.

Objective:

Identify the social and demographic changes of recent decades that have created changes in employment, family life, and the intersection of these two institutions;

Investigate how race may influence work and family behavior;

Use empirical research to address specific aspects of a complex social problem;

Hone your ability to analyze numeric data and present tightly-argued written interpretations.

Time Commitment for Assignment

I estimate that this assignment will take students anywhere from 2 – 4 hours to complete, depending on your numeric and computer skills.

Late Assignments

Late assignments will be penalized 3 points for each half-day they are late.

Format:

Web Resources Necessary to Complete This Assignment (Also see Course Links)

You will need to access two different U.S. government reports to complete this assignment:

Household and Family Characteristics: March 1998 (Update) which is available on the web athttp://www.census.gov/prod/3/98pubs/p20-515u.pdf, and

America’s Families and Living Arrangements, 2008, also available on the web athttp://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2008.html.

Specific instructions for how to use these resources are included under each task, below.

Task 1a: Document Overall Trends in Employment and Family Structure (5 points)

Instructions

Complete the table, below.

Hints

See “Table 15: Married-Couple Families, by Labor Force Status of Husband and Wife, and Race and Hispanic Origin of Household: March 1998” in the 1998 report and “Table FG1” in the 2008 report to complete task 1a. Couples in which both the husband and wife are employed (or unemployed, but looking for work, as the case may be) are “Dual-Earner” couples in the table below. The other categories used below should exactly match the table headers used by the census in each of the reports.

At any point in time, some people are between jobs and actively looking for work. Note that the census counts individuals who are currently unemployed, but looking for work, as “in the labor force.” Please include counts of the currently employed and the unemployed in each of your totals by family type. So, for example, when calculating totals for couples in which both members are in the labor force (i.e. dual-earner couples), make sure to include those couples in which only the husband, wife, or neither are employed as well as couples in with both are currently employed. The census has already determined that these are dual-earner couples because the unemployed parties are actively looking for work. The 1998 table includes this category sub-total, but the 2008 table does not, so you will need to calculate it yourself for 2008. (Rounding errors may result in totals that are off from those in the census tables by 1). Overall totals tend to be in the first line of the table, with breakouts by other family characteristics (family size, income, etc.) further down in the table.

This assignment will be much easier to complete if you utilize a spreadsheet program to automatically produce category totals and percentages. If you don’t know how to use Excel (or another spreadsheet program) this is a good opportunity to learn. Please present numbers without decimal points and percentages with 1 decimal point in this table. Make sure to note the data source.

Activity Source:

Adapted by Jane Case from Chesley, N. (2009). “The Work-Family Intersection” Syllabus.

Annotated Bibliographies of Work-Family Research

Activity Description:

Bibliography

Objective:

The purpose of the annotated bibliography is to become familiar with relevant and reputable resources on work-family issues in a specific country. By reviewing the most up-to-date published information, scholars develop coherent ideas about how work-family linkages are contingent on concrete historical, political, economic, demographic, and social contexts. Discovering the best academic, governmental, and organizational resources is the first step in developing a country profile on work-family issues, but the process is often frustrating for novice researchers who are unfamiliar with the field. Thus, finding good sources is like detective work; it requires good investigative and analytic abilities, patience, and determination.

Assignment:

Find, read, and summarize the best publications about work-family issues in your focal country. Undergraduate students must have a minimum of 8 citations, and graduate students must have a minimum of 10 citations. You may use reputable newspapers, magazines, or web sites, but the most of your references must be professional journals, chapters in edited books, or books (5 of the 8 for undergraduates, and 6 of the 10 for graduates). The vast majority of your references should be journal articles or chapters in edited books, not full-length books, because you are responsible for reading your references in their entirety.

Structure:

The annotated research bibliography must be single spaced, type written, and organized in the following way:

• Center the title of your country profile on first line at the top of the page. Skip a line, and then center your name and date on the next two lines. Skip another line.
• For each article, chapter, book, or website, please list the complete citation. Abide by the instructions on how to format references in the ASA Style Guide.
• After the citation, skip a line, and then briefly summarize the central points •theoretical arguments and/or empirical findings • of the author(s). Do not copy or paraphrase the published abstract of journal articles or books.Compose your own abstract; use your own words and ideas about what is important about the article, chapter, book, or website, and pay special attention to its relevance for your research project. Limit each summary to one paragraph of approximately 150 words. Skip a line, and begin the next citation.

Copies:

Turn in one paper copy to the professor, and post one electronic copy to Blackboard before the beginning of class on the due date. To do so, click on “Groups”, then “Group Pages”, then your country, then “File Exchange”, and then finally “Add File.”

Evaluation Criteria

(1=Poor   5=Excellent)

Offers informative & interesting title

1 2 3 4 5

Selects relevant and reputable references (good choices)

1 2 3 4 5

Demonstrates familiarity with & comprehension of references

1 2 3 4 5

Skillfully summarizes relevant info from references (good content)

1 2 3 4 5

Composes grammatically sound sentences (good writing)

1 2 3 4 5

Uses appropriate diction (clear, professional word choice & tone)

1 2 3 4 5

Follows all technical instructions, including ASA citation style

1 2 3 4 5

Posted bibliography to Blackboard BEFORE class

yes   no

Activity Source:

Sweet, Stephen, Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Joshua Mumm, Judith Casey, and Christina Matz. 2006. Teaching Work and Family: Strategies, Activities, and Syllabi. Washington DC: American Sociological Association.

Assessing Workplace Practices

Activity Description:

Objective:

Length: 1,5000 words.

Group Paper Assignment.

Students of four to six students will be required to undertake a Work-Life Workplace Assessment of an organization for easing work/family/life conflicts. The Work-Life Workplace Assessment requires analysis of six major components: (1) Stakeholders (2) Organizational structure and nature of tasks/projects, workflow timetables, rostering (3) Workforce composition (4) Motivators and barriers to work-life balance (5) Existing policies, programs, and practices and take up rates for any existing work-life programs (6) Company culture and informal practices (7) Recommendations for senior managers on strategies for assisting employees ease their work/family/life conflicts. Critically analyze whether your recommendations are likely to be implemented soon and why? Students are expected to source additional readings to inform their analysis and present a list of recommendations.

Resources:

Pitt-Catsouphes, M., & Bankert, E. (1998). Conducting a work/life workplace assessment. Compensation and Benefits Management, 14(3), 11-18.

Activity Source:

Adapted by Jane Case from Bardoel, A. (2003). “Work, Family and Life” Syllabus.

Autobiographical Accounts

Activity Description:

Purpose

To encourage students to reflect on the connections between rites of passage and family transitions

Steps

Students themselves are rich sources of primary data about the importance of ritual occasions in the lives of American families and how these rites serve as symbolic “sign posts” in autobiographical conceptions of the self.

1. In a class exercise, they might pair off and interview one another about key ritual events in their memories of their own lives and of their family. What important family vocations or legendary holidays do they recall or know of (perhaps including some before they were born)? Class discussion might compare these findings and search for salient commonalities and distinctions.
2. It is often interesting to analyze the rites with attention to gender and generation: what explicit and implicit messages do the various ceremonies convey about masculinity and femininity, or about the proper relations between youths and elders? Students from immigrant families often have access to especially rich data on ritual innovation and synthesis: to what extent have rituals in their family assimilated over time to a mainstream American norm, developed marked and elaborate ethnic inflections, or hit upon ingenious symbolic compromises?

Activity Source:

Content contributed by Mark Auslander.

 

Breastfeeding and Public Health

Activity Description:

This PowerPoint presentation was prepared for a University of Washington course entitled Maternal and Infant Nutrition. Broadly it outlines the trends and benefits of breast feeding infants. It goes on to provide a timeline of breast feeding policy as well as a case study of a breastfeeding support group.

To access the slides, visit: http://courses.washington.edu/nutr526/lectures/Breastfeeding_public_health_08.ppt

For more information, visit the course website at: http://courses.washington.edu/nutr526/

Activity Source:

Johnson, D.B. and Zerzan, J. (2008). Breastfeeding and public health. Retrieved May 26, 2009 from University of Washington website: http://courses.washington.edu/nutr526/lectures/Breastfeeding_public_health_08.ppt

Business Case 1 – Establishing

Activity Description:

Purpose:

To develop students’ capacities to present a “business case” for work-family responsive practices.

Steps:

1. Have students review the topics page “Return on Investment” on the Work and Family Researchers Network to help orient them to the concepts “returns on investment” and “dual agendas” as well as “the business case” perspective
2. Have students identify one workplace practice or public policy that would address a specific work-life issue of their own choosing. To guide their selection, suggest that they identify a practice or policy that appear on the list of “Topics Pages” or in the “Work and Family Encyclopedia”
3. Provide the following instructions to students:

You are to write a paper (suggested at 7-10 pages) that is intended to establish the business case for employer responsive practices.  You should assume your audience is a diverse group of employers who may have some interest in issues such as social justice, gender equality, and the wellbeing of future generations.  However their primary interest is on “the bottom line” and how any suggested practice may affect their enterprise. They will be a skeptical audience. Unless you can establish your business case, they will assume that your proposal will cost them rather than benefit them, and they will not be inclined to follow your advice. Use the following section headings:

1.  Introduction

Explain a tension between work and family institutions that –  if it is alleviated – has the potential to not only promote better worker, family, social well-being, but also improve organizational performance.  Give some indication of the magnitude of this problem in terms of its impact on workers, their families, and their employers. As you explain these tensions, discuss the unique contributions made by different disciplinary perspectives, such as those held by historians, economists, sociologists, psychologists, etc.

1. Establish the Range of Options

Generate a list of ways that employers may address this concern.  For example, if locating daycare presents concerns for employees, explain the types of resources employers may provide that could alleviate this tension (i.e. onsite daycare, subsidies for daycare, information referral services, paid family leave, etc.).  

1. Establish the Business Case

Expand on one of the options listed above and consider the logistics of how that option might be implemented, the expenses that would likely be involved, and the cost savings or increased profits that might be expected.   For example, if an employer were to provide onsite day care, how much would it cost to establish and run such a center? How many employees would be serviced? And ultimately what would the result be in terms of sales, retention, recruitment of talent, etc.?  If this information is not available, then you can ballpark the figures. Can you establish a business case? If not, establish another option in which such a case can be established.

1. Identify a Case Study

Find a real live case study of a similar program or policy that has been implemented and outline its impact on that company’s “return on investment.” You may find it helpful to look at the case studies presented on the Work and Family Researchers Network.

Activity Source:

Content developed by the Sloan Work and Family Teaching Task Force

Business Case 2 – Limitations

Activity Description:

Purpose:

To develop students’ capacities to gauge and critique the “business case” for work-family responsive practices. Note – this exercise presents an alternative paper assignment to the teaching activity Business Case 1. This assignment is intended to make students understand the strengths and limitations of the business case to legitimate family responsive workplace practices.

Steps:

1. Have students review the topics page “Return on Investment” on the Work and Family Researchers Network to help orient them to the concepts “returns on investment” and “dual agendas” as well as “the business case” perspective
2. Have students identify one workplace practice or public policy that would address a specific work-life issue of their own choosing. To guide their selection, suggest that they identify a practice or policy that appear on the list of “Topics Pages” or in the “Work and Family Encyclopedia” at the Work and Family Researchers Network.
3. Provide the following instructions to students:

Review the series of workplace flexibility case studies listed on The Work and Family Researchers Network. Select a case study that you see as especially promising, one that could offer a model to promote family friendly work environments.  Using the resources provided on the Work and Family Researchers Network, perform review of the policy enacted (e.g., flex-time, flex-space, breastfeeding facilities, paid family leave, corporate sponsored daycare, etc.).  In your paper, address the following issues:

1. Employer Based Strategies:

Describe a type of work-family policy or practice that employers could implement to alleviate a work-family tension and how that policy may make “business sense.”  In your presentation describe how other employers have crafted these policies and practices and the impact it has had on work outcomes such as performance, retention, and recruitment.

1. Application 1

Consider if a business case can be made for implementing this policy for all workers (or a subset -and explain why only a subset) here at your college.  What would be involved to make it happen and what would the impact be on such a return on investment? Consider the logistics of how that option might be implemented, the expenses that would likely be involved, and the cost savings or increased profits that might be expected.   For example, if the college was to provide onsite day care, how much would it cost to establish and run such a center? How many employees would be serviced? And ultimately what would the result be in terms of enrollment, staff retention, recruitment of talent, etc.? If this information is not available, then you can ballpark the figures.  Can you establish a business case?

1. Application 2

Consider if a business case can be made for implementing this policy for all workers (or a subset -and explain why only a subset) at McDonalds.  What would be involved to make it happen and what would the impact be on such a return on investment? Consider the logistics of how that option might be implemented, the expenses that would likely be involved, and the cost savings or increased profits that might be expected.   For example, if McDonalds was to provide onsite day care, how much would it cost to establish and run such a center? How many employees would be serviced? And ultimately what would the result be in terms of productivity, worker retention, recruitment of talent, etc.? If this information is not available, then you can ballpark the figures.  Can you establish a business case?

1.  Summary

Offer a summary reflection on the business case for the policy reviewed.  Does it make business sense for all employers to be family responsive in their practices?  If so, consider why many employers have not implemented these policies and practices. If not, consider what would be needed to bridge the gap so that all workers labor in family responsive work environments.

Activity Source:

Content developed by the Sloan Work and Family Teaching Task Force

Career Interview

Activity Description:

Purpose

To gather information about a woman’s career decisions

Steps

Identify a woman older than yourself.

Invite this person to participate in an informal interview.

Assure the person that the interview will be confidential.

Conduct the interview, using the following questions:

• When did you start thinking about a career?
• What information did you use to make that decision?
• Who were important career and/or non-career role models?
• Did that decision change? If so, when? What were the factors that influenced that shift?
• Did you have important mentors? Who were they and how have they influenced you?
• What were the non-career events (e.g. family, relationship issues) that have affected how you feel about or how you behaved in your career?
• How do you feel about your current chosen career path? How do you feel about your current employer and position?
• Do you perceive any forseeable changes? If so, when? What might influence you in that regard?
• Do you have any regrets about your career? Do you have any wishes for your future career?

Change the participant’s name.

Summarize and reflect on the content of the interview.

Activity Source:

Content contributed by Patricia Raskin, Ph.D, Columbia University as a Suggested Work and Family Class Activity 

Career Stages

Activity Description:
Purpose To understand forces influencing women’s career decisions and repercussions of those decisions

Steps

Identify a woman in your life who you are interested in interviewing about her career path.
Prepare interview questions designed to stimulate a discussion regarding different career stages she has experienced and where she is at this point in her life. Include questions about different periods when her career stage shifted, and what the triggers and consequences of those shifts have been.
Interview a woman who matters to you.
Analyze the information gathered during the interview.
Write a summary of the interview process and your interpretation of the

Activity Source:
Content contributed by Krysia Wrobel, Patricia Raskin, Vivian Maranzano, Judith Leibholz Frankel, and Amy Beacom as a Suggested Work and Family Class Activity 

Collaborative Web Project on Social Structure, Agency, and Diversity

Activity Description:

Objectives

• To inform the general public about work-family linkages in the focal country.
• To develop practical skills in critical thinking, collaborative writing, and web page design.

Format

The web site will be a series of interconnected pages that synthesize information from the individual sole-authored research papers. As a team, students will decide how to best present the collective research, using the broad themes of the course—social structure, agency, and diversity—as an implicit framework. Each student must take “first-author” responsibility for at least two web pages.

Each web site must also have the following components:

• Purpose, Disclaimer, & Authorship. On the home page for this website, (1) describe the purpose of the web site, (2) acknowledge the limitations of your research in a modest, but not apologetic way on the introductory page, and (3) list all authors. Place a condensed version of the purpose and authorship at the bottom of all web pages.
• National Context. Summarize the national context of work-family linkages, including the demographic situation and the cultural milieu. Do not overwhelm the readers with too many numbers or lines of text. Be concise. All information should be sociologically relevant, and it should be presented in a visually appealing way.
• Major Work-Family Issues. Identify and discuss several work-family issues in the focal country.
• Work-Family Policies. Describe the national system of work-family benefits and regulations.
• The Social Organization of Childcare. Describe the national childcare system.
• Work-Family Organizations and Government Agencies. Identify and describe several organizations and government agencies that deal with work-family issues. Provide contact information for each one.
• Annotated Bibliography. Create a comprehensive annotated bibliography (in .pdf format) that combines all references for the entire website.
• Links to Relevant Web Sites. Integrate links as appropriate throughout the web site; do not merely list a bunch of sites on a separate page. Do not get carried away with links. Quality is much more important than quantity. Ask yourself: how is this link relevant to the assignment?
• Flag & Map of Country. The professor will demonstrate how to download images from the web. Students, however, may not scan published images or download copyrighted images without the written permission of the owner of the images. Otherwise, students risk being held legally responsible for violating copyright laws.
• References. Identify all sources of information at the bottom of each web page. Only cite the references that you use for that particular page. Give complete citations, and use ASA format.

Evaluation Criteria

The professor will evaluate each group’s web site on its sociological sophistication, quality of writing for a general audience, visual appeal, and “usability” design features. Refer to the criteria checklist for details.

Each team will receive a group grade. The professor, however, reserves the right to lower the grade of any team member who does not adequately fulfill her/his group responsibilities or who is uncooperative, subversive, or non-participatory in the collective decision-making and writing process.

Download the Evaluation Checklist here. 

Activity Source:

Sweet, Stephen, Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Joshua Mumm, Judith Casey, and Christina Matz. 2006. Teaching Work and Family: Strategies, Activities, and Syllabi. Washington DC: American Sociological Association.

Combined Weekly Work Hours of all Couples and Dual-Earner Couples with Children in 1977 and 2002

Activity Description:

This powerpoint slide has been adapted from the above article, figure 9, page 15.

Click on the document called, “Combined Weekly Work Hours of All Couples.ppt” at the end of this entry.

Activity Source:

Bond, J.T., Thompson, C., Galinsky, E., & Prottas, D. (2002). Highlights of the National Study of the Changing Workforce. No.3. New York, NY: Families and Work Institute.

Activity Links to Materials:

Combined_Weekly_Work_Hours_of_All_Couples (2)

Competition at Work

Activity Description:

Purpose

To inspire critical thinking about how family friendly work amenities may be related to workplace rewards and how social categories (such as gender and family status) influence people’s career paths.

Steps

1. Create sets of 2 employee profiles to hand out to small groups.  The profiles should be matched on all factors (i.e., education, work experience, job reviews, work-family policy use, gender, and parental status) save one. The following are a few examples of relevant differences:

Match a pair on sex with only difference being policy use

Match a pair on policy use with only difference being sex.

Match a pair on sex and policy use with only difference being the reason for policy use (e.g. one employee uses policy to care for their own medical problem while the other uses the policy for child care issues)

1. Inform students that they will be simulating a work-place situation in which they act as supervisors who must award a promotion to one of two candidates.
2. Divide students into groups of 2-4 and hand out a set of two profiles to each group.  Ask the group to discuss both candidates and make a decision as a group about who to promote.
3. Have groups report who they promoted and why.
4. Discuss and illuminate patterns.  Bring up issues such as gender, policy use, and rationale for policy use, asking how these issues factored in decisions students made.

This classroom activity is inspired by experiments conducted by Tammy Allen.  See the following articles for more detail:

Allen, T. D., Russell, J. E.A. & Rush, M. C.  (1994). The effects of gender and leave of absence on attributions for high performance, perceived organizational commitment, and allocation of organizational rewards.  Sex Roles, 31, 443-464.

Allen, T. D. & Russell, J. E. A.  (1999). Parental leave of absence:  Some not so family friendly implications.  Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 29, 166-191.

Activity Source:

Content contributed by Sarah Beth Estes and Joe Michael as a Suggested Work and Family Class Activity 

Constructs of Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment

Activity Description:

“In this exercise, students develop a model that identifies predictors of work-related outcomes for individuals that have high degrees of responsibility for others (e.g., children, elderly parents). This is meant to help students understand that predictors of work-related attitudes are unique for each individual and they may change over time as family or dependent responsibilities change. Finally, this activity is intended to help students understand that organizational interventions are often implemented to positively affect work-related outcomes like attitudes or performance.”

Purpose:

Research has supported the notion that situational factors are important predictors of workrelated outcomes like job satisfaction and organizational commitment. This exercise is intended to have students develop a model that identifies predictors of work-related outcomes for individuals that have high degrees of responsibility for others (e.g., children, elderly parents). This is meant to help students understand that predictors of work-related attitudes are unique for each individual and they may change over time as family or dependent responsibilities change. Finally, this activity is intended to help students understand that organizational interventions are often implemented to positively affect work-related outcomes like attitudes or performance.  

Steps:

1. As a class, define the constructs of job satisfaction, organizational commitment (i.e., affective, normative, continuance) and discuss the traditional theories that identify predictors of these outcomes. In other words, what factors have researchers typically examined as predictors of each? Meyer & Allen (1994) and Spector (1994) provide very good summaries of this literature.

Meyer, J. P., and Allen, N. J. (1997).  Commitment in the workplace: Theory, research, and application. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.  

Specter, P. E. (1997). Job satisfaction:  Application, assessment, causes, and consequences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.  

1. Organize students into groups of 3-4 and ask them to develop their own theory related to one of the constructs. For instance, ask them to develop a theory that would describe the specific predictors of job satisfaction that may be important to working parents or individuals caring for dependent others. In other words, ask them to expand on the traditional set of predictors for this construct. Students may identify things such as flexibility, good child care, etc.  
2. Once the groups have developed their theory or set of predictors, write these “new” predictors up on the board. Discuss as a class why these predictors may be particularly important for workers who care for dependent others. For instance, are these things that may reduce workfamily conflict or increase facilitation?  
3. Finally, have the class identify organizational interventions (e.g., flexible work schedules, job sharing, telework, on-site daycare) that might  address this set of predictors. These could be interventions that organizations already have in place, but also encourage them to be creative in identifying new, currently unused interventions.  

Activity Source:

Williams, J. (n.d.). Constructs of job satisfaction and organizational commitment: A suggested work and family class activity. Retrieved from http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/activities_entry.php?id=758&area=All

Costs of Childcare

Activity Description:

Author: Monika J. Ulrich, University of Arizona

Purpose: To help students understand the real expense of childcare and how difficult it is to successfully balance work and family, especially for low income families.

Steps: Obtain names and phone numbers of several childcare centers; Obtain access to laptops; Prepare handouts with local information.

This activity could also be adapted as a take home assignment.

As a group, we make a list of all the things that families need in order for both parents to continuously remain in the workplace and raise children the way that they want. I encourage students to think about how they want to raise their old children. That list usually includes paid maternity leave for at least one year (because most students do not want to put an infant in daycare), paternity leave for at least a week, child care reimbursement from the age of 1 until the child is in school, flextime, flexplace, sick leave, health care benefits, a child care center near the workplace, a private location to pump milk at the office (because most students recognize the benefits of breast milk over formula), and enough income to meet additional expenses.

I explain to students that we are going to figure out if it is possible to raise a child the way we want in the local area.

I divide students into groups of about four students each. I pass out assignments below to different groups (in larger sections, multiple groups will receive the same assignment).

I give students about 20 minutes to complete the assignment as a group. I make sure that students have cell phones available in groups that require phones. (Typically, students volunteer to use their cell phones). If possible, I arrange to have extra computers with internet access available to students in Group 1 or 2 (either by asking students who have them to bring laptops or by using University resources). For Groups 3 and 4, I provide different lists of names and phone numbers of childcare centers in the area.

After students have completed the assignment, we discuss the results. For each item, we start by talking about professors. Often, groups that focus on the professors have more success. Then, we discuss the lower income family. Sometimes, students will propose that the lower income family should simply go on welfare. This is a good opportunity to talk about what welfare will and will not provide.

After we have discussed both groups, I then ask students to think about how they would meet their needs if they were disabled, supporting elderly parents, had low education or intelligence, were mentally or physically ill, recently left an abusive spouse, trying to go back to school to get more education, had more than one or two children or had a child with a special need.

Group Assignments

Click on the document below to view the specific assignments for each group (in PDF format). Document will open in a new browser window.

Costs_of_Childcare

Sweet, Stephen, Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Joshua Mumm, Judith Casey, and Christina Matz. 2006. Teaching Work and Family: Strategies, Activities, and Syllabi. Washington DC: American Sociological Association.

Country Profiles

Activity Description:

Objective

Describe and analyze work-family issues in the focal country.

 

Write a report that synthesizes multiple sources (from the annotated bibliographies and additional references as needed) into a coherent line of argument about the nature of work-family linkages in the focal country.

 

Use the broad themes of the course (social structure, agency, and diversity) and the following questions to generate a country profile:

• What are the demographic trends related to work-family issues?
• How do national policies address work-family issues?
• What are the hot topics in research on work-family issues?
• What do people think about work-family issues?
• How do work-family issues vary for different social groups (e.g., women/men, adults/children, one-parent/two-parent families, natives/immigrants)?

Format

Create a title page for your informative title, name, course number/name, and the date. For the text of the report, use one-inch margins, double spacing, and a regular font. Place page numbers at the bottom center of each page. The first page of text, not the title page, should be labeled as “1.” Please limit your report to approximately ten pages. A seamless narrative is better than an abundance of disjointed or rambling pieces of information. Use ASA guidelines for citation formats within the body of your report as well as your list of

references. Put your list of references at the end of the report on a separate page.

Copies: Turn in one paper copy to the professor, and post one electronic copy to Blackboard. To do so, click on “Groups,” then your country, then “File Exchange”, and then “Add File.”

Evaluation Criteria

Sociological Content

• All content explicitly relates to work-family issues in the focal country, not just general country “facts.”
• Describes national demographic trends related to work-family issues.
• Identifies relevant cultural values and describes public opinion as it pertains to work-family issues.
• Identifies and explains several hot research topics on work-family issues in the focal country.
• Describes national work-family policies, including benefits and regulations.
• Describes the national system of childcare.
• Explains how work-family linkages differ by gender, social class, family structure, region, and so forth.
• Reasonable amount of high-quality, reputable references. ___ # academic ___ # pop press ___ # web

Quality of Writing

• Supports all assertions with appropriate illustrations or data.
• Sociological jargon is clear, effective, and appropriate.
• The report has a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
• The introduction specifies the purpose and central thesis of the report.
• The introduction grabs the readers’ attention in an engaging way.
• Author uses transitions and/or headings to guide the reader through the report.
• Each paragraph concentrates on one central idea (unity) and is easy to follow (coherence).
• The body of the report develops the central thesis in an effective and convincing fashion.
• Author integrates information from various sources to support assertions; the report is not merely a linear narrative about each separate reference.
• Author appropriately and effectively cites and paraphrases other writers in the body of the report.
• The conclusion provides a sense of completion without merely restating the introduction.
• Author followed all technical instructions, including ASA citation format.

Activity Source:

Sweet, Stephen, Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Joshua Mumm, Judith Casey, and Christina Matz. 2006. Teaching Work and Family: Strategies, Activities, and Syllabi. Washington DC: American Sociological Association.

Critical Incidents

Activity Description:

Purpose

To help students identify some of the policies and behaviors associated with a family supportive workplace.

Steps

1. Ask students to individually respond to the following questions.
2.  Think about a policy within your organization or an action taken by your supervisor that was particularly effective in helping you achieve a desired balance between your work and nonwork responsibilities. Why was this policy/action effective and what was the result for you personally?
3.  Now think about a policy or supervisor action that was particularly INEFFECTIVE in helping you achieve a desired balance between your work and nonwork responsibilities. Why was this policy/action so ineffective and what was the result for you personally?
4. Put students together in small groups to discuss the critical incidents generated. Ask group members to identify common themes related to the effective and ineffective examples.
5. Ask each group to briefly present its list of themes and examples to the entire class.
6. Engage the entire class in a discussion focused on the development of organizational policies and management behaviors that serve to reduce the ineffective behaviors and support the effective.

Activity Source:

Content contributed by Tammy D. Allen as a Suggested Work and Family Class Activity

Cross-National Comparisons of Work, Spouse, and Parental Roles

Activity Description:

Purpose:  Explore the assumptions underlying work, spouse, and parental roles within dual-career families residing and working in different national contexts.

***For a 50 minute session***

Step 1: (Five minutes)

Divide the class into two groups and then assign one scenario to each group. (See the scenarios below). Explain the task. Each group has to read the scenario and discuss answers to the assigned questions. Each group has to select one member responsible for summarizing the discussion and presenting it to the other group.

Step 2: (Twenty minutes)

Have each group read the scenario, discuss the following questions, and summarize the discussion:

1. How are the responsibilities of the parental roles (father/mother) being handled?
2. Who is spending more time at work?  Why?
3. Who is spending more time at home?  Why?
4. What assumptions are being made about who is the best person to take care of the child?
5. What type of help is being obtained from outside the family?
6. Is any type of support being provided at work?
7. Think about the country in which the scenario is being enacted and identify the expectations that are made in that society about work, spouse, and parental roles. How are these expectations reflected in the scenario?

Step 3: (Ten minutes)

Each group presents the summary of the discussion.

Step 4: (Ten minutes)

The two groups then find similarities and differences between the two scenarios and relate these to the national context in which the scenarios are based.

Scenario 1

Julie and Richard Nolan live in New York City, U.S.A. They are a dual-career couple with Richard working as a Professor of Architecture at a state university and Julie employed as a Branch Manager for a large national bank. Recently, Julie gave birth to their first child, a son, and they are making the transition into their parental roles. Julie has taken four weeks of unpaid leave and was glad her mother could come for the two weeks right after the baby arrived. When she returns to work, their son will be attending a day-care center located close to her bank; she will drop off the baby every morning on her way to work and is counting on Richard to pick up the baby on his way back. Julie is a bit worried about how she is going to get caught up with things at work that have accumulated over the four weeks she was away. Fortunately the baby arrived when Richard’s semester was almost ending and he is looking forward to spending more time with the baby during the three weeks of break he has between semesters. Julie wants to use this time to sit down with Richard and create some schedules that would help them figure out ways of managing their responsibilities at work and at home in an effective and efficient manner.

Scenario 2

Asha and Hemant Bharve live in Pune, India. They are a dual-career couple with Hemant working as Professor of Engineering at the University and Asha employed as the Branch Manager of a large national bank. Recently, Asha gave birth to their first child, a son, and they are making the transition into their parental roles. Asha’s mother came to stay with them right before the birth of the baby and will remain with them for about six months. When she leaves, Hemant’s parents will arrive and live them for six months. Though there are several good quality day-care centers available, the new parents prefer to have their families come and help out. They believe this is an opportunity for the newborn to get to know his grandparents and for Asha to get some assistance as she tries to handle work and parental responsibilities. When Asha’s maternity leave (twelve weeks of paid leave) expires and she returns to work she is glad to have her mother (and later her in-laws) at home to take care of the baby. Hemant too is glad to have family members available to help out as he can continue to concentrate on his work especially as he has several deadlines coming up within the next few months.

Activity Source:

Source:  Content contributed by Meera Komarraju as a Suggested Work and Family Class Activity