Family Still Tops Career for Women

Even though women have a wide array of professional opportunities these days, family remains top priority, says a UC Davis scholar. Well-educated women "are as much concerned with their relationships as they are with careers," says Carol Tomlinson-Keasey, vice provost for faculty relations and psychology professor at UC Davis. At the same time, however, contemporary women rank their work as more important than friends, a change from earlier studies of older women for whom friendship was a close second to family. Her studies suggest society must recognize the force of relationships in women's lives in order to enhance their professional successes. "Professions must provide avenues by which women can meet their family's needs without reducing their career potential. Women will be driven from the field if they cannot be convinced that career achievements and family responsibilities can coexist happily," says Tomlinson-Keasey. She recently presented her findings at the annual American Psychological Association meeting.