Interface Between Work and Family Responsibilities: The Mid-Life Family Transactions Project

Abstract

The interdisciplinary Mid-Life Family Transactions Project examines the dynamics of family intra- and intergenerational transactions among individuals in the 40-54 year old age group, the "baby boomers" or "sandwich generation". As part of the overall Project of research, the current paper explores the relationships between individuals’ work-related attitudes and experiences and their family transactions, including the amount of care and assistance they provide to family members. Contrary to some popular conceptions, the total amount of care-giving provided by 40-54 year olds to their children, parents, and spouses/partners was relatively low. Similarly, levels of care and assistance were not systematically related to satisfaction with the job and family, or to the amount of psychological strain experienced by respondents. However, there were linkages between work involvement, family involvement and the extent to which experiences in one domain generalized to those in the other. Some of the implications of these findings for further research on social support and policy relating to work-family interactions are highlighted.