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The triple burden: low-SES women and the binds of caretaking, work, and college

delete2026-06-24
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PRE
AI
K
Kaylee T Matheny *
I
Ilana M Horwitz
N
Natalie Milan
DOI:10.1093/sf/soag068delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Scholars have identified women’s simultaneous labor force and domestic responsibilities as a “double burden” but have not fully explored how these demands intersect with pursuing higher education. Research consistently shows women’s increasing participation in higher education, with women—especially from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds—outpacing men in bachelor’s degree attainment. Using nationally representative longitudinal surveys and matched educational outcome data, we examine students’ educational trajectories from their early teens through late twenties. Our findings reveal that despite gains in college enrollment and completion, low-SES women experience significantly more interruptions in their educational pursuits after enrolling in college than both low-SES men and high-SES women. Using longitudinal interviews with a matched subsample of 132 participants, we identify the presence of a “triple burden”: the simultaneous expectations of caretaking, work, and college for low-SES women. This concept contributes to the sociologies of gender, social class, domestic labor, and higher education, emphasizing the need for an intersectional understanding of the life course.

Journal

Social Forces cover
Social Forces
IF:
2.7
Papers:
5.5K
Citations:
9.7K

Organization

S
stanford university
Scholars:
9.2K
Papers: 3.6K
Citations: 0
G
Georgetown University
Scholars:
1.6W
Papers: 1.3W
Citations: 1.5W
T
Tulane University
Scholars:
1.2K
Papers: 516
Citations: 1.2W
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