The Family-Work Dilemma家庭与工作难两全

丽塔·兰迪诺

More women than ever are establishing successful work lives. Yet women today， especially educated women， confront conflicting expectations at home and at the office. How does a woman remain focused on her career and， at the same time， tackle multiple roles on the domestic front1？ This conflict can lead some women to doubt their own abilities both as workers and as family members. One woman may believe that， if only she were better organized， she would not feel so overwhelmed. Another may do without sleep to ensure that her family responsibilities are fulfilled before the start of another workday. Yet， the challenge these women face can be best understood within the larger context of social， political， and economic forces in the United States today. The working mother is now the norm in this country， yet most work settings lack the flexibility necessary to accommodate the complexity and spontaneity of family life.

Young women still in school or just beginning their careers believe that they have the same opportunities as men their age to succeed in their chosen careers. At the same time， college-educated women tend to be interested in acquiring prized jobs and in advancing through the promotional ranks. Unfortunately， the career-building years overlap with the childbearing years， and women are still the primary caretakers of children （not to mention elderly parents）. The woman whose definition of success includes being both a mother and career woman needs to decide her priorities early in her career and marriage.

No woman is immune from having to make these choices， as has become evident from recent news stories. Even highly-paid executives with the means2 to secure quality child care have chosen to relinquish their prized CEO positions because they felt that their demanding jobs were jeopardizing their family life. All the resources at a womans disposal3 do not compensate for the missed parent conferences， concerts， birthday parties， or soccer games. How do working women mesh their work and family roles over the course of their lives？

For the individual woman， the resolution of this conflict is a private， personal choice. In the U.S.， family has always been considered a private world， a refuge from public life， free from politics and governmental intervention. Politicians may proclaim support for “family values，” yet governmental policy may serve instead to limit the options available to a woman and her family. It is within this ambivalent social and political environment that women today are building their careers and families.

One governmental initiative that does offer workplace support for families is the Family and Medical Leave Act of 19934， an attempt to preserve family integrity while protecting a persons job security. This act guarantees a worker up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave for childbirth， adoption， or family illness and guarantees that a job comparable to the one previously held will be waiting upon the workers return. This act applies to both men and women， yet women are its main beneficiaries5.

Another bright light on the work landscape is the current U.S. economy， which presents an array of opportunities for skilled workers. In this environment， women with young children are able to devise creative solutions to the family-work dilemma because their supervisors wish to accommodate their needs for fear that they will leave the work site completely.

For many women， the best strategy is part-time work， a temporary state until the children are in school. Another strategy， especially for working-class women， is shift work， which ensures that one parent is home for extended periods of time. Another alternative is scaling back to a less competitive occupation， one that does not spill over into6 family life. Recently， when my sons pediatrician became pregnant with her second child， she gave up her practice to work as a medical administrator.

What Pleck7 said in 1977 still applies： mens work spills over into their family life， womens family obligations spill over into their work. What women need from the work setting is more time and flexibility. Part-time work is so appealing because it offers both flexibility and time， but at the expense of benefits and job advancement. Part-time work can be even beneficial for older women—and men—with elderly parents in need of care. The fact that more women will be entering the work force in the future gives me hope that the structure of work will inevitably change to accommodate family needs. As the workforce of women grows， their sheer numbers will force the issue of their needs being addressed.

如今，成功開启职场生活的女性比以往任何时候都多。然而当今女性，特别是知识女性，常常面临工作需要和家庭责任之间的冲突。女性怎样在专注事业的同时应对在家庭生活中的多重角色？这一冲突可能导致一些女性质疑自己处理工作和家事的能力。有的或许会认为，假如自己更加高效有序，就不至于这么手忙脚乱了;还有的或许会彻夜忙碌，确保在又一个工作日到来前完成当天的家务活儿。不过，把这些女性面临的挑战放到当前美国社会、政治、经济的大背景下，就很好理解了。在美国，职场妈妈已然是一种常态，但大多数工作环境依然缺乏必要的弹性为自发问题繁杂的家庭生活提供便利。

在尚未毕业或初入职场的年轻女性看来，她们和同龄男性享有均等的机会去成就一番事业。与此同时，受过大学教育的女性往往更愿意进入重要岗位，并希望步步晋升。可惜，为事业奋斗之时正逢生育的年纪，而且女性仍然是育儿的主力（更别提照顾年迈的父母了）。如果一位女性认为，事业孩子两不误才算成功，那她需要在事业和婚姻初期就决定自己要将重心放在哪里。

近来的新闻报道已清楚表明，每位女性都不得不面临这样的抉择。即使是有财力负担优质育儿服务的高薪女高管，也选择了舍弃宝贵的CEO职位，因为她们觉得费时费力的工作会危及家庭生活。职场成功带来的种种优渥条件并不能弥补错过那些家长会、音乐会、生日派对或足球比赛所带来的缺憾。漫漫人生，职场女性应该如何平衡工作与家庭？

对女性个体而言，怎样解决这一冲突是一种个人选择。在美国，家庭向来被视为私人领地，它是远离公共生活的避难所，不受政治影响和政府干预。政客们也许会高声支持 “家庭价值”，但政府的政策却可能会限制女性及其家庭的选择。今日女性正是在这样一种矛盾的社会政治环境中一边打拼事业、一边操持家庭。

有一项政策的确为家庭提供了来自职场的支持，那就是1993年通过的《家庭与医疗休假法案》。该法案旨在保障个人工作稳定的同时维护家庭完整。根据该法案，员工可因生育、领养子女或照顾家中病患享受至多12周的无薪休假，单位须保证为返岗员工安排与离岗前相当的岗位。该法案同样适用于男性，但女性是其主要受益者。

职场的另一个利好消息是，当前美国经济为有工作经验的劳动者提供了大量就业机会。这种环境下，主管会愿意去体谅女员工的难处，以免她们不再回来上班，所以子女年幼的女性可以另辟蹊径走出家庭与工作的两难困境。

对很多女性而言，最好的办法是在子女入学前做兼职工作。还有一个办法尤其适合女性工人，就是找一份轮班制工作，这能保证父母有一方可以长时间待在家中。另一个方案是降低要求，换一份竞争不那么激烈、不会干扰家庭生活的工作。前不久，我儿子的医生怀上了第二个宝宝，于是她放弃了给人看病，转去做了医疗行政工作。

普莱克1977年所说的话今天依然成立：男人会为工作影响家庭，女人会为家庭影响工作。女性需要工作时间更具弹性，工作方式更灵活。兼职工作的强大诱惑就在于它二者兼具，但要以牺牲福利和晋升机会为代价。有老人需照料的中年女性——及男性——从事兼职工作可能获益更大。未来会有更多女性加入劳动力大军，所以我相信，工作结构终究会调整以顾及家庭的需求。随着女性劳动力的增多，这一群体的庞大数量也会促使其需求得到满足。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者;译者单位：天津铁道职业技术学院）