Identificador 3.3.6 Prevención de errores (todos)

It is essential for some participants to consider their relationship with their husband when they make ongoing career choices. Mrs. Li (Doctor, AP, Married) said,

I have made little progress in my career over the years. You know, I am 55 years old, and I am almost ready for retirement. Many of my friends are chief physicians in tertiary hospitals, but I am just an attending physician! Actually, I am a little disappointed with my career development, but everything I did is for my husband and for my family! He is a scholar at the university, and he did his research abroad for many years. I have been looking after his parents and our daughter during these years, so I have no time and patience to focus on my own career. Five years ago, my husband changed his job location to Shanghai, and I gave up my original job in the tertiary hospital to work here.

Mrs. Wang (Doctor, ACP, Married) said,

My husband and I have been working in different cities for several years. When I started my career, I was enthusiastic about my work, and I wished to be promoted as soon as possible. So I spent a lot of time on and paid a lot of attention to my career advancement, at times ignoring my family’s demands. I found that my husband did not want to communicate with me, and we had fewer topics to talk about. He enjoyed life in his city and didn’t want to go with me. I realised we needed to make some changes. I decided we should live together and have a baby, so I changed my job location and I now live with my husband, and happily, we are getting better!

Similarly, Mrs. Sun (Doctor, ACP, Married) said,

We (my husband and I) are working in different cities. I am living with my daughter in Shanghai, and my husband comes to see us every

week. My husband is a teacher, and he cannot change his job location. So I think I will go back to his city in the next few years, as I don’t want to leave him lonely and we all want to live together!

Some participants were confused about their ongoing career decisions: whether to be a professional woman or to be a housewife. Their husbands advised them to be housewives as they could focus on family care, and some participants also wanted to change their current situations because of the high workload and pressure. This makes them question the meaning of their work. In other words, they are confused about what they are working for.

Mrs. Han (Doctor, AP, Married) thought that the meaning of her work is to keep her marriage bond. In her opinion, work could allow her to earn money, and money could secure her economic independence within the family:

I am not very passionate about my job; I am not a very motivated person, but I have a lack of security… I do not know what it means for me to work, maybe to keep our marriage bonds ... Work can give me enough money to be economically independent, so I can communicate with my husband and his family equally. I do not mean that I must have the job because I like it ... For me, work is very important for my family. I don’t want to ask for money from my husband, if I want to buy something I like. I want to be economically independent, so being a housewife for a long time is certainly impossible.

She had repeatedly considered giving up her current job and going home to be a housewife, but she finally gave up the idea and decided to

continue her work. She says,

I am not a very assertive person, and I am not good at making decisions… My working time is too long and it is boring… My husband advised me to give up work. He complains that my job is busy and it leaves me with little time at home. When we planned to travel or return to our hometown to see our parents, I was busy with work, so I could not go with them (husband and children). He wanted me to be a housewife, but he was very proud that I was a doctor. I think he is very contradictory. He is working in a Taiwanese company. Doctor is a very good occupation and it has a good social status in Taiwan. So my husband is very satisfied with my occupation. He wanted me to be a housewife, give up my job, and return home to take care of our children, but he enjoys the feeling of pride that my job brings to him…

Mrs. Wu (Doctor, RP, Married) described herself as an "easy going" and "easily satisfied” woman:

I am not an ambitious woman; I just need a stable job. I have no ambition to reach a high position or achieve something in my work . . . Both of us (my husband and I) are not highly motivated and must work hard. Living a comfortable, stable life, and being able to solve the basic needs of life would be fine. If we have more money to get a better quality of life, to buy something we want, and to go anywhere we like, we will be happy and satisfied.

Her working desire is to maintain a comfortable life and family stability. However, she also stressed the importance of work for a woman’s marriage:

I think a stable job is important for a woman. I don’t want to be a housewife that completely stays at home! I don’t need to worry about the money and my family’s living expenses because my husband could earn enough money. However, working outside is not just about making money, but more importantly having an independent income and integrating with the community and society. Moreover, I can’t imagine always asking for money from my husband. I think I must go out to work and have contact with society. I feel relaxed and good about spending my own money.