Gender, Poverty, and the Work–Family Interface

Consideration of gender when discussing the work-family interface is critical, yet most of our understanding of work and family interactions and gender stems from data collected on middle- and upper-class individuals. As a result, less is known about the experiences of low-income individuals. Given that women are more likely to be in poverty than men, it is also essential to consider how the context of poverty shapes the interaction of work, family, and gender. The current chapter reviews the research on gender and the work-family interface for individuals in low-wage jobs, and utilizes the segmented labor market theoretical approach, as well as Karasek’s job demands-resources theory, to provide a framework for synthesizing existing research and providing suggestions for future research.