Single Women in the Work Place

SINGLE WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE

The Psychosocial Challenges Faced by Single Women in the Workplace

Abstract

Many single working women today grapple with varied issues ranging from discrimination and pay inequalities to demands on performance and work hours . Single , as used in this , refers to women leading solo lives , including the unmarried women advancing in years and divorced or separated women as well as single mothers . Single working professionals may be lumped into separate categories -- those who primarily seek material comforts , with little regard for social realities or progress

the thoroughly driven and well-educated type putting off work for career advancement and the hardworking middle-aged women or single mothers oftentimes subjected to work-place-related prejudices and unfair treatment . Whatever the category , all of them face psychosocial challenges continually grappled with contemporary workplace culture

The Psychosocial Challenges Faced by Single Women in the Workplace

Women entering the workplace to earn a living and to pursue a long-term career oftentimes have to endure some patterns of stress and inequities especially when pitted alongside men within the same work milieu Across cultures , similarities in the reasons that propel single women to battle it out in the workplace exist . These may range from sheer economic necessity to support their families , to the desire to actualize dreams for themselves and find an avenue for their competence and skills , to an intent to use the workplace experience as stepping stone to higher goals , like running one 's own business . The psychosocial forces shaping modes of behavior and sentiments as these working women interrelate with their male counterparts also find common ground across diverse nationalities and social classes

The psychosocial challenges that are encountered by many of these single working professionals , while not deterring the undaunted ones who tough it out at work and strive to overcome the inequalities , pressures and problems , speak volumes about the continuing struggle women make before they can advance professionally and derive utmost fulfillment in the working world

On hindsight , history has shown that in most cases , women have been denigrated to gender-specific roles like looking after the house to handle domestic chores . Across many cultures , tradition and circumstances dictated that women 's priorities focus on looking after elderly parents , siblings , or husband , and rearing the children to grow up into physically , emotionally and morally strong individuals . Through the years , with modernization and the ensuing changes in attitudes and lifestyles , women have become recognized as equals of men in the competitive working world which used to be predominantly male domain

Indeed , historically , women seem to be constantly fighting for their rights (Peppard , 2007 , para . 2 ) but in the present world , the struggle has shifted or moved to a new level . Whereas before the main challenge for many single women was to successfully break away from their traditional assigned roles as homemaker , or at least juggle family responsibilities with work pursuits , the current issues they now face stem more on the suppression of women 's rights and inequality in the workplace (Peppard...