International Journal of Education and Management Studies

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Psychosocial Profile Differences of Working Women Serving Different Service Pedestals


Affiliations
1 Assistant Professor (Stage II) and Former Head, Department of Psychology, Loreto College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


For the present study a sample of 80 working women (40 from corporate organizations & 40 from educational institutions) were selected to determine their psychosocial profile differences as shaped by their job structure and also as they play the dual role of managing families and fulfilling job requirements. The variables selected as psychosocial profile factors were anxiety, defense mechanism and locus of control. These variables were considered relevant and applicable since working women have to constantly balance varied ends together, reach job targets, satisfy others at home and at work and also derive a sense of self-fulfillment and appreciation which maybe blended with both success and failure. In addition to this, working women face the transitions in job markets, associated stresses in the positions offered to them and discrimination centering around gender, pay and other facilities/benefits as received. The results obtained from the present study revealed that the two groups of working women did not differ significantly with respect to the variables of anxiety, defense mechanisms and locus of control. However, the mean score of Locus of Control, State Anxiety, Trait Anxiety, Defense Mechanisms of Turning Against Object, Projection and Principalization were higher in case of women working in educational institutions. The mean score of Defemse Mechanisms of Turning Against Self and Reversal were higher in case of women working in corporate organizations. Thus the psychosocial orientations of both the groups, though marginally different in terms of mean scores of the variables, essentially revealed homogeneity of the chosen sample of working women and the overall psyche of women in general.

Keywords

working women, psychosocial, profile, anxiety, defense mechanism, locus of control
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Ahmad, K. (1986). The Trishankus: Women in professions in India. Sociological Bulletin, 33(1-2), 75-90.

  • Barlow, D. (2000). Abnormal psychology: An introduction (2nd Ed.). Wadsworth Thomson Learning.

  • Bhadauria, M. (1997). Women in India: Some issues. New Delhi: APH Publishing Corporation.

  • Costello, C.G. (1976). Anxiety and depression: The adaptive emotions. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press.

  • Coser, R.L., & Rokoff, G. (1971). Women in the occupational world: Social disruption and conflict. Social Problems, 18, 535-554.

  • Davis, M. (1992). The role of the amygdala in fear and anxiety. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 15, 353-375.

  • Deakin, J.F.W., & Graeff, F.G. (1991). Critique: 5-HT and mechanisms of defense. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 5(4), 305-315.

  • Eron, L.D. (1980). Prescription for reduction of aggression. American Psychologists, 33, 244-252.

  • Ford, M.T., Heinen, B.A., & Langkamer, K.L. (2007). Work and family satisfaction and conflict: A meta-analysis of cross-domain relations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 57-80.

  • Frone, M.R., Russell, M., & Cooper, M.L. (1992). Antecedents and outcomes of workfamily conflict: Testing a model of work-family interface. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77, 65-78.

  • Gazette of India (1976). Part II, Sec. 1. ISN: IND-1976-L-13579.

  • Gleser, G.C., & Ihilevich, D. (1969). An objective instrument for measuring defense mechanism. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 33, 51-60.

  • Irfan, M., Kaur, N., Panwar, N., & Thind, H.S. (2012). A comparative study of working and non-working married women: Effect of anxiety level on life satisfaction. Indian Journal of Psychology and Mental Health, 6(2), 169-178.

  • James, L.R., & Singh, B.K. (1978). An introduction to the logic assumptions and basic analytic procedures of two-stage least squares. Psychological Bulletin, 85, 11041122.

  • Johnson, J.H., & Sarason, I.G. (1978). Life stress, depression and anxiety: Internalexternal control as a moderator variable. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 22, 205-208.

  • Krause, N., & Stryker, S. (1984). Stress and well-being: The buffering role of locus of control beliefs. Social Science and Medicine, 18, 783-790.

  • Kumar, B. (2021). Inclusivity vis-a-vis national education policy 2020. New Delhi, National Law University: Delhi Press.

  • Light, H.K. (1984). Differences in employed women's anxiety, depression, and hostility levels according to their career and family role commitment. Psychological Reports, 55, 290.

  • Maier, S.F. (1997). Stressor controllability, anxiety and serotonin. Paper presented at the National Institute of Mental Health Workshop on Cognition and Anxiety, Rockville, M.D.

  • Malik, P.L. (1997). Industrial law (17th ed.). India, Lucknow: Eastern Book.

  • Mitra, J. (1997). Women and society: Equality and empowerment. New Delhi: Kaniskha Publishers and Distributors.

  • Muhonen, T., & Torkelson, E. (2004). Work locus of control and its relationship to health and job satisfaction from a gender perspective. Stress and Health, 20(1), 21-28.

  • Myrdal, A., & Klein, V. (1956). Women's two roles: Home and work. London: Routledge, Allen and Unwin.

  • Nye, I., & Hoffman, L.W. (1963). The employed mother in America. Rand McNally, Chicago, p.15.

  • Padmanabhan, S. (2021). The impact of locus of control on workplace stress and job satisfaction: A pilot study on private-sector employees. Current Research in Behavioural Sciences, 2, 100026.

  • Patel, P.A., Patel, P.P., Khadilkar, A.V., Chiplonkar, S.A., & Patel, A.D. (2017). Impact of occupation on stress and anxiety among Indian women. Women Health, 57(3), 392-401.

  • Petraglia, J., Thygesen, K.L., Lecture, S., & Drapeau, M. (2009). Gender differences in self-reported defense mechanisms: A study using the new defense style questionnaire-60. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 63(1), 87-99.

  • Pleck, J.H. (1979). Conflicts between work and family lives of men and women. In V.F.

  • Nieva. Work and other life spheres of men and women. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the APA, New York.

  • Pruzinsky, T., & Borkovec, T.D. (1990). Cognitive and personality characteristics of worriers. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 28, 507-512.

  • RajaGopalan, C. (1963). Social change: An analysis of role conflict and deviation. Indian Journal of Social Work, 24 (1), 11-18.

  • Ramegowda, A. (1997). Gender inequality: Power, privilege and poverty in plantations. New Delhi: Rawat Publications, Jaipur.

  • Roth, M., & Argyle, N. (1988). Anxiety, panic, and phobic disorders: An overview. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 22, 33-54.

  • Rotter, J.B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 80 (1), 1-28.

  • Rutherford, A., & Granek, L. (2010). Emergence and development of the psychology of women. In J.C. Chrisler and D.R. McCreary (Eds.), Handbook of gender research in psychology (pp. 19-41). New York: Springer.

  • Sandler, I.N., & Lakey, B. (1982). Locus of control perceptions and social support. American Journal of Community Psychology, 10, 65-80.

  • Sathyavathi, K., & Thomas, A. (1984). An attributional approach to locus of control, self-esteem and alienation: A clinical study. Psychological Studies, 29(1), 76-82.

  • Schein, E.H. (1990). Organizational culture. American Psychologist, 45(2), 109-119.

  • Seligman, M.E.P., Elaine, W.F., & Rosenhan, D.L. (2001). Abnormality psychology. New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company.

  • Spielberger, C.D., Gorbachev, R.L., & Lushene, R.G. (1970). State trait anxiety inventory manual. Palo Alto: Consulting Psychologists Press.

  • Stark, E. (1987b, June). Mother and science do mix. Psychology Today, 14.

  • Sugerman, A.A., Sheldon, J.B., & Roth, C. (1975). Defense Mechanisms in men and women alcoholics. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 36, 422-424.

  • Tripathi, P., & Bhattacharjee, S. (2012). A study on psychological stress of working women. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 2(2), 434-445.

  • Valecha, G.K., Sridhar, S., & Nanda Gopal, V.B. (1980). Construction of a new personality scale: Internal-external locus of control. Bombay Psychologist, 2(3), 2741.

  • Walker, L.J., Schubert, & Walker, J.L. (1980). Trait Anxiety in mothers: Differences associated with employment status, family size and age of children. Psychological Reports, 47, 295-299.


Abstract Views: 366

PDF Views: 0




  • Psychosocial Profile Differences of Working Women Serving Different Service Pedestals

Abstract Views: 366  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Sayantani Chatterjee
Assistant Professor (Stage II) and Former Head, Department of Psychology, Loreto College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Abstract


For the present study a sample of 80 working women (40 from corporate organizations & 40 from educational institutions) were selected to determine their psychosocial profile differences as shaped by their job structure and also as they play the dual role of managing families and fulfilling job requirements. The variables selected as psychosocial profile factors were anxiety, defense mechanism and locus of control. These variables were considered relevant and applicable since working women have to constantly balance varied ends together, reach job targets, satisfy others at home and at work and also derive a sense of self-fulfillment and appreciation which maybe blended with both success and failure. In addition to this, working women face the transitions in job markets, associated stresses in the positions offered to them and discrimination centering around gender, pay and other facilities/benefits as received. The results obtained from the present study revealed that the two groups of working women did not differ significantly with respect to the variables of anxiety, defense mechanisms and locus of control. However, the mean score of Locus of Control, State Anxiety, Trait Anxiety, Defense Mechanisms of Turning Against Object, Projection and Principalization were higher in case of women working in educational institutions. The mean score of Defemse Mechanisms of Turning Against Self and Reversal were higher in case of women working in corporate organizations. Thus the psychosocial orientations of both the groups, though marginally different in terms of mean scores of the variables, essentially revealed homogeneity of the chosen sample of working women and the overall psyche of women in general.

Keywords


working women, psychosocial, profile, anxiety, defense mechanism, locus of control

References