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This paper is of diagnostic-cognitive and partially verifying2 nature. The paper consists of introduction and two parts. In the first part, entitled Family, work, education – areas of women’s life. Conceptualization of own researches, the author refers to family and its assessment, which has been undergoing in Poland at the time of system transformation,
presents a description and functions of contemporary family, defines family social roles showing at the same time evaluation of the female roles – from mother, wife, to woman who is educationally and professionally active respectively. Harmonization and conflicts
connected with adopting by women numerous roles simultaneously are subsequent issues discussed in this part of the paper. The author also draws attention to relations between these women and other family members – their course, condition, and “quality.” The issues
concerning free time, analyzed in the context of ways in which it is spent by particular family members, close the part devoted to family issues.
Theoretical considerations include also issues concerning education and work undertaken by women. The author presents selected contexts of development of female education showing a kind of struggle for access of women to institutional education, to higher education in particular. The author concentrates also on motives make women
decide to take up education and, particularly, on the barriers encountered by women while trying to access it. The second part of this chapter concerns professional activities of women. The author provides a general outline of women’s entry into the labour market, presenting the woman as a discriminated employee (especially in terms of payment) and an employee of low value, whose low pay was only a supportive income for the family (the man was the main breadwinner of the family). Women’s position at the labour market in Poland (with particular consideration of analysis of chosen sectors) and in selected
countries of the European Union are the next issues discussed in this part of the paper. The author also analyses in detail barriers and obstacles in the access to work encountered by women, emphasizing the constant lack of institutional forms of childcare. Chosen Polish
documents and legal regulations as well as the European Union guidelines referring to disproportions at the labour market constitute subsequent issues discussed within the area of problems related to women’s professional activity. It is also essential to emphasize that flexible forms of employment are still rarely used in Poland, although, as in other countries, they might turn out to be a ”golden mean” in the
search for balance between professional work and house duties and the other side way round. The author presents two well known forms of ”flexible” employment (selfemployment and telework), which are perfect for women who fulfil numerous roles at the same time, both of which are, unfortunately, rarely used in Poland. The third chapter in the theoretical part refers to methodological and analytical research
assumptions (chosen model of research, object, aim and research tasks, problems and research hypotheses, quantitative-qualitative analysis of empirical factors, methods, techniques and tools applied in the research). This chapter ends with the description of the area and the group of respondents, as well as details concerning organization and schedule of research.
Part Two of the publication consists of description and analysis of results of conducted research, arranged and presented in three chapters, which refer to particular areas of women’s lives, pointing at experienced problems, conflicts and successes achieved by respondents. This part of the paper ends with verification of adopted hypotheses and
conclusions from research.
The author also presents her reflections on practical implications of reconciling family, professional and educational life. These reflections, connected with experienced conflicts and problems related to adopting numerous roles simultaneously, are based on literature survey, selected regulations and, particularly, on the results of conducted research. The
author is certain that such a brief presentation of practical solutions is not perfect as it constitutes only ”a small part of the whole” of what could be introduced. However, if appropriate improvements were made and some changes in respective provisions were introduced and at the same time tested in practice, they could turn out to be useful for not
only contemporary women, but also for men, who, at the times of constant social and economical changes, have to adopt numerous roles as well.