ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to report findings from a study designed to explore the psychological well-being of mid-life women who vary in work and family statuses. Speculation as to sources of variance in well-being indicators also focuses on the variables of marital status and employment status. Many large surveys conclude that married women fare better on well-being indices than do non-married women; others report that nonmarrieds have the edge. The conflicting findings from the studies have at least two major sources: first, the well-being measures differ from study to study, making comparisons difficult; and second, the subject populations are drawn in non-comparable ways. Advancements in understanding the contributors to well-being among women in the middle years require the use of random samples drawn to explore important differences in work and family status singly and in combination. Occupational prestige, even more neglected as a “woman’s issue,” is also an important determinant of well-being.
