WORK, FREE TIME AND AREAS OF FULFILLMENT AMONG MOTHERS - A COMPARISONBETWEEN SINGLE MOTHERS AND MOTHERS WITH A PARTNER

The family is conceived of as a link between society and the individua l. The various types of relationships between the family members and s ociety mirror the differences within the family structure. Thus, singl e mothers are not only mothers without a partner; this status impacts on their attitude towards work and on their social position. The study of a sample of 8923 Swiss mothers (including 600 single household hea ds) therefore encompasses family and social parameters. The findings s upport the validity of the theoretical construct, and show that an app roach limited to family variables would be misleading. For example, a mother's evaluation of social times depends mainly on her work load ra ther than on her partner, On the other hand, the latter's presence or absence has a major impact on her positive attitudes towards life.