ABSTRACT
One cannot turn on the radio, pick up the newspaper, or sit before a TV news program, sitcom, or drama without soon being reminded of the frenetic pace of life and the constant challenges individuals face in allocating sufficient time to work and family life. Work and family constitute the two most important domains of adulthood. As Rosabeth Kanter (1977) reminded us three decades ago, despite the myth of the separate spheres of work and family, there are myriad ways in which work spills over and affects family life and vice versa. Occupations differ in the level of absorption-or commitment-they require on the part of the person who fills them. Some occupations require the unpaid assistance and cooperation of family members. Work hours, shifts, and schedules tend to define the pace of family life and determine when family members can all be together. Work provides the income for the consumption that determines families’ standard of living and the opportunities they can afford their members. Income can be variable, with some jobs providing access to security and high levels of economic well-being, whereas other jobs do not pay a living wage, are temporary, or do not come with steady, predictable hours. The nature of work-including work “cultures”—affects workers’ physical health and social and psychological well-being. How successfully people organize their work lives can directly affect their health and well-being. Through the effects of workplaces on workers, job characteristics and work cultures can then spill over to affect the health and well-being of children and other family members as well as the communities in which workers live.
