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Papers by Maureen Perry-jenkins
Journal of Marriage and Family, Feb 1, 1994
Family Relations, Apr 1, 1988
Princeton University Press eBooks, Jun 27, 2022
Innovation in Aging, 2017
Quality of life is a multidimensional construct often conceptualized in terms of social connected... more Quality of life is a multidimensional construct often conceptualized in terms of social connectedness, happiness, and independence. Because of the common physical and mental declines associated with aging, older persons' quality of life might be especially sensitive to their social and physical environments. Ecological theories of aging suggest that the wellbeing of older persons is a function of their competencies and of the challenges and stressors of their environments, yet insufficient attention has been given to macro-level city environments. Buffel and her associates (2012) propose that city environments matter for the happiness of older persons, and these authors have encouraged more comparative research on age-friendly cities. The present study combines two sources of data, individual-level survey data (Wave 1 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (n=3,005)) and official records about demographic, economic, crime, weather, and arts and leisure characteristics of metropolitan statistical areas in the United States (n=57). Analyses utilize hierarchical linear modelling techniques to study how a diverse set of city-level factors are related to a diverse set of measures of the well-being of older persons. Our results show that measures of income, employment, education, and crime at the city-level are particularly consequential for a diverse set of measures of the well-being of older persons, including mental health, self-esteem, happiness, depression, anxiety, and stress. This macro-level analysis suggests the importance of identifying why these measures of city-level quality of life are particularly influential for the well-being of older persons.
Family Relations, 1994
The goal of this study was to examine how working-class fathers'job experiences affect t... more The goal of this study was to examine how working-class fathers'job experiences affect their self-esteem and parenting styles. It was hypothesized that fathers' positive work experiences would lead to more positive parenting styles indirectly via their en-hanced self-esteem. A ...
Community, Work & Family, 2016
Little research has explored linkages between workplace policies and mental health in workingclas... more Little research has explored linkages between workplace policies and mental health in workingclass, employed parents, creating a gap in our knowledge of work-family issues across social class levels. The current U.S. study addresses this gap by employing hierarchical linear modeling techniques to examine how workplace policies and parental leave benefits predicted parents' depressive symptoms and anxiety in a sample of 125, low-income, dual-earner couples interviewed across the transition to parenthood. Descriptive analyses revealed that, on average, parents had few workplace policies, such as schedule flexibility or child care supports, available to them. Results revealed, however, that, when available, schedule flexibility was related to fewer depressive symptoms and less anxiety for new mothers. Greater child care supports predicted fewer depressive symptoms for fathers. In terms of crossover effects, longer maternal leave predicted declines in fathers' anxiety across the first year. Results are discussed with attention to how certain workplace policies may serve to alleviate new parents' lack of time and resources (minimize scarcity of resources) and, in turn, predict better mental health during the sensitive period of new parenthood. Keywords anxiety; depressive symptoms; parental leave; transition to parenthood; workplace policies; working-class Despite the large and growing literature on work and family issues in the United States, the U.S. is primarily known for its lack of supportive, family-friendly policies for workers (Kossek & Distelberg, 2009). Heyman and Penrose (2006), in their assessment of how the United States "measures up" in comparison to 150 countries around the world, concluded that, "the United States lags far behind the rest of the industrialized and developing world in guaranteeing the right to decent fundamental work conditions" (p. 205). Moreover, although research has documented the work-life challenges of individuals across the entire social spectrum, the burdens facing low-income families are magnified due to the fact that they more often face greater strains with fewer resources
Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2022
I am grateful to many people but would like to start by sincerely thanking my advisor, Dr. Mauree... more I am grateful to many people but would like to start by sincerely thanking my advisor, Dr. Maureen Perry-Jenkins, who supported me through this entire thesis writing process. She encouraged me to read, write, and revise which helped me develop and grow as a researcher. She was open to my inquiries and encouraged me to pursue my research interests. I could not thank her enough for her role in completing this thesis and for reaching this stage of my doctoral process. Last, I could not finish without thanking my family, without which this journey would not be possible. Thank you for always believing in me and for hanging in there with me.
Work, Family, Health, and Well-Being, 2006
"So often we overlook the worth and significance of those who are not in professional jobs, or ... more "So often we overlook the worth and significance of those who are not in professional jobs, or those who are not in the so-called big jobs. But let me say to you tonight, that whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity, and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity, and it has worth. One day our society must come to see this. One day our society will come to respect the sanitation worker if it is to survive. For the person who picks up our garbage, in the final analysis, is as significant as the physician. All labor has worth." Low-Wage, Hourly Work in the United States Most common jobs in low-income and working-poor strata are in three main occupational areas (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2007). service occupations sales and office occupations production, transportation, and material moving A primary aim of my comments today is to highlight the distinct characteristics of low-wage employment that create unique social ecological niches to explore workfamily issues and policies. No permanent Address and phone Makes
Family Relations, 2017
The aim of this paper is to examine the meaning of translational research in the work and family ... more The aim of this paper is to examine the meaning of translational research in the work and family field. Specifically, we review findings from a longitudinal study of low-wage workers across the transition to parenthood and examine how this basic discovery research informs the next step in translational research, that of clinical practice. The authors describe three specific sets of findings that hold direct and immediate implications for interventions and policy that could support working families. The paper closes with a discussion of how both translational and transdisciplinary research have the potential to inform evidence-based practice, social policy, and effective social action to decrease physical and mental health disparities among low-income, working families.
Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2022
Journal of Hospital Administration, 2016
The changing nature of U.S. health care has created challenges for hospitals, including managing ... more The changing nature of U.S. health care has created challenges for hospitals, including managing high rates of turnover among frontline support workers. Few studies have examined the effect of work schedules on turnover among frontline hospital support workers. This cross-sectional study (N = 270) examined scheduling challenges prevalence among hospital housekeeping and dietary workers and their relationship to turnover intent. Both worker groups experienced schedule unpredictability but dietary workers reported greater schedule instability than housekeeping workers. Schedule rigidity was reported by all workers, although housekeepers had more difficulty in changing work schedules. All three scheduling challenges were significant predictors of intent to leave.
Journal of Marriage and Family, Feb 1, 1994
Family Relations, Apr 1, 1988
Princeton University Press eBooks, Jun 27, 2022
Innovation in Aging, 2017
Quality of life is a multidimensional construct often conceptualized in terms of social connected... more Quality of life is a multidimensional construct often conceptualized in terms of social connectedness, happiness, and independence. Because of the common physical and mental declines associated with aging, older persons' quality of life might be especially sensitive to their social and physical environments. Ecological theories of aging suggest that the wellbeing of older persons is a function of their competencies and of the challenges and stressors of their environments, yet insufficient attention has been given to macro-level city environments. Buffel and her associates (2012) propose that city environments matter for the happiness of older persons, and these authors have encouraged more comparative research on age-friendly cities. The present study combines two sources of data, individual-level survey data (Wave 1 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (n=3,005)) and official records about demographic, economic, crime, weather, and arts and leisure characteristics of metropolitan statistical areas in the United States (n=57). Analyses utilize hierarchical linear modelling techniques to study how a diverse set of city-level factors are related to a diverse set of measures of the well-being of older persons. Our results show that measures of income, employment, education, and crime at the city-level are particularly consequential for a diverse set of measures of the well-being of older persons, including mental health, self-esteem, happiness, depression, anxiety, and stress. This macro-level analysis suggests the importance of identifying why these measures of city-level quality of life are particularly influential for the well-being of older persons.
Family Relations, 1994
The goal of this study was to examine how working-class fathers'job experiences affect t... more The goal of this study was to examine how working-class fathers'job experiences affect their self-esteem and parenting styles. It was hypothesized that fathers' positive work experiences would lead to more positive parenting styles indirectly via their en-hanced self-esteem. A ...
Community, Work & Family, 2016
Little research has explored linkages between workplace policies and mental health in workingclas... more Little research has explored linkages between workplace policies and mental health in workingclass, employed parents, creating a gap in our knowledge of work-family issues across social class levels. The current U.S. study addresses this gap by employing hierarchical linear modeling techniques to examine how workplace policies and parental leave benefits predicted parents' depressive symptoms and anxiety in a sample of 125, low-income, dual-earner couples interviewed across the transition to parenthood. Descriptive analyses revealed that, on average, parents had few workplace policies, such as schedule flexibility or child care supports, available to them. Results revealed, however, that, when available, schedule flexibility was related to fewer depressive symptoms and less anxiety for new mothers. Greater child care supports predicted fewer depressive symptoms for fathers. In terms of crossover effects, longer maternal leave predicted declines in fathers' anxiety across the first year. Results are discussed with attention to how certain workplace policies may serve to alleviate new parents' lack of time and resources (minimize scarcity of resources) and, in turn, predict better mental health during the sensitive period of new parenthood. Keywords anxiety; depressive symptoms; parental leave; transition to parenthood; workplace policies; working-class Despite the large and growing literature on work and family issues in the United States, the U.S. is primarily known for its lack of supportive, family-friendly policies for workers (Kossek & Distelberg, 2009). Heyman and Penrose (2006), in their assessment of how the United States "measures up" in comparison to 150 countries around the world, concluded that, "the United States lags far behind the rest of the industrialized and developing world in guaranteeing the right to decent fundamental work conditions" (p. 205). Moreover, although research has documented the work-life challenges of individuals across the entire social spectrum, the burdens facing low-income families are magnified due to the fact that they more often face greater strains with fewer resources
Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2022
I am grateful to many people but would like to start by sincerely thanking my advisor, Dr. Mauree... more I am grateful to many people but would like to start by sincerely thanking my advisor, Dr. Maureen Perry-Jenkins, who supported me through this entire thesis writing process. She encouraged me to read, write, and revise which helped me develop and grow as a researcher. She was open to my inquiries and encouraged me to pursue my research interests. I could not thank her enough for her role in completing this thesis and for reaching this stage of my doctoral process. Last, I could not finish without thanking my family, without which this journey would not be possible. Thank you for always believing in me and for hanging in there with me.
Work, Family, Health, and Well-Being, 2006
"So often we overlook the worth and significance of those who are not in professional jobs, or ... more "So often we overlook the worth and significance of those who are not in professional jobs, or those who are not in the so-called big jobs. But let me say to you tonight, that whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity, and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity, and it has worth. One day our society must come to see this. One day our society will come to respect the sanitation worker if it is to survive. For the person who picks up our garbage, in the final analysis, is as significant as the physician. All labor has worth." Low-Wage, Hourly Work in the United States Most common jobs in low-income and working-poor strata are in three main occupational areas (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2007). service occupations sales and office occupations production, transportation, and material moving A primary aim of my comments today is to highlight the distinct characteristics of low-wage employment that create unique social ecological niches to explore workfamily issues and policies. No permanent Address and phone Makes
Family Relations, 2017
The aim of this paper is to examine the meaning of translational research in the work and family ... more The aim of this paper is to examine the meaning of translational research in the work and family field. Specifically, we review findings from a longitudinal study of low-wage workers across the transition to parenthood and examine how this basic discovery research informs the next step in translational research, that of clinical practice. The authors describe three specific sets of findings that hold direct and immediate implications for interventions and policy that could support working families. The paper closes with a discussion of how both translational and transdisciplinary research have the potential to inform evidence-based practice, social policy, and effective social action to decrease physical and mental health disparities among low-income, working families.
Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2022
Journal of Hospital Administration, 2016
The changing nature of U.S. health care has created challenges for hospitals, including managing ... more The changing nature of U.S. health care has created challenges for hospitals, including managing high rates of turnover among frontline support workers. Few studies have examined the effect of work schedules on turnover among frontline hospital support workers. This cross-sectional study (N = 270) examined scheduling challenges prevalence among hospital housekeeping and dietary workers and their relationship to turnover intent. Both worker groups experienced schedule unpredictability but dietary workers reported greater schedule instability than housekeeping workers. Schedule rigidity was reported by all workers, although housekeepers had more difficulty in changing work schedules. All three scheduling challenges were significant predictors of intent to leave.