Self-employment is a career decision that is likely to be influenced by the gendered dynamics of work and care for parents of young children. We test a theoretical model investigating the effect a transition into self-employment (compared to staying organizationally-employed) has on the work-family interface (work-to-family, family-to-work conflicts and work-family enrichment), exploring the key mechanisms of job autonomy, flexibility and work hours for mothers and fathers. We theorize gender differences in this model which we test using national, cohort data of Australian parents’ employment transitions over 5 time points (2004–2012), with n = 4165 observations from mothers and n = 5059 from fathers. For fathers, self-employment yielded longer work hours, higher work-family conflicts, but lower family-work conflicts, and enhanced enrichment. For mothers, self-employment heralded fewer work hours, lower work-family conflicts, but higher family-work conflicts. Job autonomy was enhanced, and positive for those transitioning into self-employment. While flexibility was positive for fathers, it was not so for mothers, eroding benefits. Results suggest that moving into self-employment ties fathers to ‘breadwinning’ (long hours); and mothers to fitting work more squarely around children’s care needs. Self-employment may entrench gender inequities in paid work opportunities, bringing caution to the current view of self-employment as a ‘solution’ to the work-family dilemma.

中文翻译：

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自雇是个好选择吗？性别、父母和工作家庭界面

自雇是一​​种职业决定，可能会受到工作和照顾幼儿父母的性别动态的影响。我们测试了一个理论模型，该模型调查了向自雇（与保持组织就业相比）对工作与家庭界面（工作与家庭、家庭与工作的冲突和工作与家庭的充实）的影响，探索母亲和父亲的工作自主性、灵活性和工作时间的关键机制。我们对这个模型中的性别差异进行了理论分析，我们使用澳大利亚父母在 5 个时间点（2004-2012 年）的就业转变的全国队列数据进行测试，其中 n = 4165 来自母亲的观察，n = 5059 来自父亲。对于父亲来说，自谋职业产生了更长的工作时间、更高的工作家庭冲突，但减少了家庭工作冲突，并增加了财富。对于母亲来说，自谋职业预示着更少的工作时间、更少的工作-家庭冲突，但更高的家庭-工作冲突。工作自主权得到加强，这对那些过渡到自雇的人来说是积极的。虽然灵活性对父亲来说是积极的，但对母亲来说却并非如此，这削弱了福利。结果表明，进入自营职业将父亲与“养家糊口”（长时间）联系在一起；和母亲们更直接地围绕儿童的护理需求来安排工作。自雇可能会加深有偿工作机会中的性别不平等，使当前将自雇视为解决工作与家庭困境的“解决方案”的观点有所不同。虽然灵活性对父亲来说是积极的，但对母亲来说却并非如此，这削弱了福利。结果表明，进入自营职业将父亲与“养家糊口”（长时间）联系在一起；和母亲们更直接地围绕儿童的护理需求来安排工作。自雇可能会加深有偿工作机会中的性别不平等，使当前将自雇视为解决工作与家庭困境的“解决方案”的观点有所不同。虽然灵活性对父亲来说是积极的，但对母亲来说却并非如此，这削弱了福利。结果表明，进入自营职业将父亲与“养家糊口”（长时间）联系在一起；和母亲们更正当地围绕儿童的护理需求调整工作。自雇可能会加深有偿工作机会中的性别不平等，使当前将自雇视为解决工作与家庭困境的“解决方案”的观点有所不同。