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Dissertation Defense |
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Candidate: Joy Yuyin Huang Degree of: Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment: Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Title: Taiwanese Female Counselors' Experiences of Managing Work and Family Roles and Responsibilities Date:
Monday, May 17, 2004 10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. This qualitative study using grounded theory methods explored the experience of Taiwanese female counselors who assumed dual responsibilities for their work and families. It describes their attempt to manage their work and family roles and the results of such attempts. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten Taiwanese female counselors from various life cycle stages who worked in a variety of professional counseling settings. The findings of this study describe Taiwanese female counselors fulfilling multiple roles at work an in their families while they tried to fulfill their own and others' expectations. Key benefits of managing these multiple roles included a wider range of experiences, development of better time management skills, and increased self-awareness. Challenges identified by the participants of managing multiple roles outweighed the benefits that included work overload, lack of adequate time, fatigue, trying to play these multiple roles well, and transitioning from one stage of the life cycle to the next. Strategies that the Taiwanese female counselors found helpful were such things as being sensitive to their own needs, resting, engaging in leisure activities, getting together with friends, and finding private space and time for themselves. They identified support they received form various sources, primarily their families and female friends, and also offered recommendations for other female counselors. They emphasized the need for female counselors to take care of themselves. The findings are discussed in light of feminist theory and stages of cultural transition that Taiwan is currently undergoing that affect family structure and women's roles. Recommendations for further research involve exploring Taiwanese male's roles in and attitudes towards their families, including men whose wives are Taiwanese female counselors, and also Taiwanese males who are professional counselors themselves. Suggestions for policy changes, particularly for women in the workplace in Taiwan, are also offered.
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