Like Mother, Like Daughter? A Mixed Methods Approach Toward Gendered Transmission Processes of Work Related Values

Despite ever-increasing labour market participation rates of women, the importance attached to paid work and family-related activities and the time allocated to these live spheres still follows clear gendered patterns. In this paper we analyse work centrality and traditionalism of young adults in the context of intergenerational value transmission. Drawing on socialisation theories, we ask whether the intergenerational transmission of these values follows gendered pathways. To answer this question, we apply a mixed methods approach, using Austria as a case and data gathered in the CUPESSE project as our empirical base. First, we assess and compare the gendered division of work centrality and traditionalism over generations using quantitative data from a survey among young adults and their parents. In a second step, we explore the individual mechanisms of work-related value transmission within families and their gendered patterns based on intergenerational qualitative family interviews. Our analysis shows that although young adults score considerably lower than their parents concerning traditional family values, intergenerational transmission still promotes the traditional gendered division between paid and unpaid work. The results suggest that there is a gap between individual values and prevalent societal norms, which makes it harder for young women to claim their fair share of economic success.