FSU RESEARCHER: WOMEN HAVE GREATER SENSE OF MATTERING TO OTHERS
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-How much do you think you matter to other people?
The answer to that question may depend on whether you are a man or woman, whether you have children, how much education you have and what kind of job you hold.
John Taylor, a Florida State University assistant professor of sociology, found that being female, having children and holding a challenging job enriches the conviction of mattering in a study he co-authored with Scott Schieman of the University of Maryland. The study, which was published in the December 2001 issue of the journal Sociological Perspectives, used data from a representative sample of 18- to 55-year-old working adults from Toronto to look at connections between work and family roles and perceptions of mattering.
"Individuals with a strong sense of mattering perceive that their actions are acknowledged and relevant in the lives of other people," Taylor said. To determine a person's sense of mattering, study subjects were asked a series of questions including "How much do you feel others would miss you if you went away?" and "How much do other people depend on you?"
Although both men and women experienced high levels of mattering, Taylor and Schieman found that the factors that influenced the sense of mattering were different for men and women. For example, women derive greater benefits for mattering from education, but they also are affected more negatively by work-home conflict. Conversely, the study showed that men gain more from having children and being involved in a relationship, but they also are affected more negatively by relationship strains.
While education impacted men's sense of mattering when it led them to better jobs, for women education was a factor in and of itself - even if they did not derive favorable work-related benefits from it.
"Our results reinforce other studies that show education produces greater health benefits and well-being among women," Taylor said. "Our findings may provide some clues as to why. For women, education is a factor in an important self-concept variable: mattering."
Both men and women experienced a higher degree of mattering when they held jobs with more autonomy, complexity and supervisory duties. But working women reported a higher average level of mattering than working men did regardless of the level of their occupational status or prestige. That's because of the interpersonal relationships that women develop in the workplace, Taylor said. Surprisingly, the positive effect of parenthood on mattering was stronger among men in the study, Taylor said, noting that the finding contradicts most predictions of gender role theory.
"Traditionally speaking, women have stronger ties to family roles," according to Taylor and Schieman. "Having children can be a source of gratification and cultivate a sense of purpose. However, the payoff for working women is surprisingly weaker, possibly because working women may experience greater time and energy demands from multiple role commitments."
Although different marriages have varying degrees of conflict, being married still is related positively to mattering. Again, the researchers found that the positive effect of being involved in a steady romantic relationship is stronger among men - but they are also more negatively impacted by strain in the relationship.
Conversely, the negative association between work-to-home spillover and mattering is significantly stronger among women.
"Home and work compete for the time and energy of both women and men," the authors wrote. "However, women must often confront the hardships of role conflict while managing the household."
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