Juggling Higher Education Study and Family Life Dr

Juggling Higher Education Study and Family Life Dr Louise Webber June 29 th, 2017

Presentation outline Four questions: • How does HE study transform women’s identity? • Does HE study change family life? • What role does family capital play in encouraging HE success? • Are there any differences between the experiences of Foundation Degree and Professional Doctorate students?

Research • Research focusing on mature women and how HE transforms their identity and family relationships • Qualitative research methods Group 1 – Foundation degree students Group 2 – Professional doctorate students Participants 11 women students (mothers) Phase 1 Mind mapping interview Phase 2 Student led research 6 students – 4 questionnaire focusing on the topic of supervisory care and support Phase 3 3 male partners interviews -

How does HE study transform women’s identity? (FD) Figure 1: Christina's experiences of studying Figure 2: Marie's experiences of studying

Does HE study change family life? (FD) I think because it is so demanding, you can’t switch your brain off from it can you? You really can’t, so even if David [partner] says, ‘Let’s just leave it [study] for tonight, let’s just sit down and watch a film, have a glass of wine, switch off’. I’ll be watching the film and thinking ohh, my brain is constantly ticking, thinking I need to think about that, and think about this, and I think probably a lot of the time, my mind wasn’t really concentrating 100% … But I cannot switch off from the studying and relax until that assignment is in the file and ready to go. (Doris)

‘I could not have done it without my family’ He [partner] is so supportive of me … if I couldn’t go home and have him as a sounding board then I don’t think I would have got through it … Also, with the juggling of roles the fact that he is taking on more this year has made a massive difference. (Angelina)

What role does family capital play in encouraging HE success? Figure 4: Basic model of family capital (Webber 2017)

Conditions where optimum family capital are played out (FD) Factors influencing family capital (Male partners’ reasons for giving family capital) 1. Financial – shared career goal done e v I ha ying stud so I elf mys tand it rs unde time s take dley Bra nt in e m st nve i so it n a … s e re It’ futu onto th e h t her of the s t e g rung der … t x ne r lad hwhile e e r t ca wor s ’ t i then Alan 2. Have educational background (degree) 3. Strong relationship … if t he h willing usband or part to flexib le and sort of be ner is a bit chang very d e relatio ependent … this is You n nship yo on that u’v eed a stron e got … - Brad g foundati on ley

How does HE study transform women’s identity? (PD) ‘I think my overwhelming sense of identity would have been a mum with children, and that was the core of it and was the central unchanging part of my identity with my professional role around the outside of that and perhaps seeping into any cracks’. (Lou) ‘… I think my identity unfortunately, and I’m not that happy about it, is quite heavily focused around my work. ’ (Helen)

What are the effects of Professional Doctorates on families as a whole? • Some families were already used to women being busy with their career so the PD fitted quite well into their lives already – had developed strategies already! • Some found the pressures of juggling and guilt when they missed out on family activities • Can put pressure on rest of family - finding physical and emotional study spaces (‘Taking up head space’) • Changed aspirations for children Difficulties: Communication – pressures of study on partner (even more organisation), children expressing dissatisfaction with study, ‘being on the other side of the door’. Most startlingly fact was that families were already used to women being busy with their career (often full time or off on courses) so the PD fitted quite well into their lives already, could be accommodated.

Differences between FD and PD students • Caroline – ‘I think my sense of identity really came from my role as a professional, from my role as a teacher’, (husband put career on backburner to stay at home and do childcare role). ‘… sometimes I feel quite guilty for saying I’m a teacher. . rather than saying I’m a mum. . I think it is my sense of identity is firmly wrapped up in that whole professional identity’.

Differences between FD and PD students Undergraduate students Post graduate students • Identity changes had greater impact on family life • Role changes were more dramatic in the home • Identity changes had greater impact on work and career • Routines were already established because women were more likely to be in full time careers • Friction more likely to be at work than at home • Study was not such a culture shock to families, already had established high stocks of cultural capital. • Friction more likely to be at home than at work • Study a culture shock, families saw a greater difference in work/life/balance.

Does the model of family capital, developed with FD women students, help us to understand the experiences of PD women? • Numbers 2 and 3 particularly significant

When facing turbulence who do they turn to? Webber, L. (2017 – in press) ‘Supporting Professional Doctorate women students through identity change and turbulent times: Who cares? ’. Pastoral Care in Education.

How can we best support mothers that study? • Be clear about the realities of study for women with families • Be realistic about how study can transform their identity and possibly change family or professional life • Be aware of how access to family capital can influence a woman's emotional well being and capacity to study • Recognise that women on professional doctorates may try to hide any turbulence from their Supervisor • Offer support and strategies to help juggle study and family life.

Closing remarks and questions • HE can transform a woman’s identity and position in the family or professional life • Relationships have the potential to change as a result of a woman's experiences with HE • Access to family capital or supervisor support can aid a woman in her studies. All women’s experiences are different, we cannot assume that we know how their studies are affecting them, building relationships is important in establishing support.

Further reading • Webber, L. (2015) ‘Mature Women and Higher Education: Reconstructing Identity and Family Relationships’. Research in Post Compulsory Education, 20 (2), 208 -226. • Webber, L. (2017) Juggling Higher Education Studies and Family Life. London: UCL IOE Press. • Webber, L. (2017 – in press) 'Women, Higher Education and family capital: ‘I could not have done it without my family!’ Research in Post Compulsory Education. • Webber, L. (2017 – in press) ‘Supporting Professional Doctorate women students through identity change and turbulent times: Who cares? ’. Pastoral Care in Education.

References • Bourdieu, P. (1986) ‘The Forms of Capital’, in Szeman, I. and Kaposy, T. (2011) Cultural Theory, An Anthology. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 81 -93. • Clandinin, D. J. and Connelly, F. M. (2000) Narrative Inquiry. Experience and Story in Qualitative Research. California: The Jossey-Bass Incorporated Publishers. • Coleman, J. S. (1988) ‘Social capital in the creation of human capital’. American Journal of Sociology, 94: 95 -120. • Edwards, R. (1993) Mature Women Students: Separating or Connecting Family and Education. Taylor and Francis: London. • Reay, D. (2004) ‘Gendering Bourdieu’s concepts of capitals? Emotional capital, women and social class’. The Sociological Review, 48: 4, 568 -585.