Psychosocial Determinants of Whether and How Much New Mothers Work: A Study in the United States and Argentina

In this study, psychosocial predictors of mothers' decision to work and the number of hours worked (for working mothers) were examined in two contrasting cultural settings, the United States and Argentina. In total, 78 U.S. and 68 Argentine primiparous mothers of 5-month-old infants participated. In both settings, years of marriage and months that mothers worked during pregnancy predict whether mothers are employed after childbirth. By contrast, when the number of hours that mothers worked was predicted, different results were found in the two countries: Better educated women with higher status occupations work longer hours after childbirth in the United States, whereas better educated women with higher status occupations work fewer hours in Argentina. Different cultural and economic conditions in the two countries appear to mediate psychosocial determinants of women's decision to work.