Conflict Causes Challenges for Women

Work-life Conflict Causes Challenges for Women

Serving in Emergency Response Roles

Problem Statement

The family make-up and dynamic has changed significantly over the past twenty decades and women are serving as head of households. Medved notes 40% of U.S women, a 30% increase from 1960, are primary earners in households with children (as cited in Wang, Parker & Taylor, 2013). Additionally, more women are in previously predominantly male occupations such as Emergency Medical Services (EMS), firefighting, police force and now in emergency management roles. When women in these head of household roles are in these essential personnel or responder roles, finding a balance between the requirement to be on scene and ensuring their families are safe is proving to be a difficult challenge. Men find it difficult to need to respond to and after a disaster. A woman serving as head of their household will have more of a challenge with those same excuses and reasons as their male counterparts.

Women in roles that require their presence during emergencies or disasters are finding that their support needs are different than their male counterparts, adding to, having to battle the attitudes of those that are less understanding of the new family dynamic. Agocs, Langan & Sanders (2015) argues that police mothers, based on the little research that does exists, navigate “challenges because of social expectations that inevitably come into play once their “mother” identity is known” (Agocs, Langan & Sanders (2015, P. 266). Women are expected to choose between work and family. Research will show that support from employers could benefit from a little more compassion of the new family dynamic. (Something needs to go here).

Provide a one- to two-paragraph statement that is the result of a review of research findings and current practice and that contains the following information:

1. A logical argument for the need to address an identified gap in the research literature that has current relevance to the discipline and area of practice. Keep in mind that a gap in the research is not, in and of itself, a reason to conduct research. Make sure to clarify the problem that led you to the gap.

2. Preliminary evidence that provides justification that this problem is meaningful to the discipline or professional field. Provide three to five key citations that support the relevance and currency of the problem. These references need not all be from peer- reviewed journals but should be from reputable sources, such as national agency databases or scholarly books, and should ideally be from the past 5 years.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the challenges women employed in emergency response roles are facing by serving as the sole caregiver and financial supporter of the family during events that require their response. This information is valuable to policy development and administrative activities that require emergency planning with regards to families of women personnel that will be first responders. This position is the concern that stress or worry could lead to mistakes while on duty during emergencies or disasters and if those mistakes or stress could be mitigated by employer understanding and proper planning.

Present a concise, one-paragraph statement on the overall purpose or intention of the

study, which serves as the connection between the problem being addressed and the focus of the study.

Inqualitative studies, describe the need for increased understanding about the issue to be studied, based on the identified gap or problem.

Significance

This study will contribute to the filling of the gap existing in literature about the need to prepare for head of household women to not choose between their obligated duties to the public and to their families

Provide one or two paragraphs, informed by the topic in the problem statement, that describe the following:

1. How this study will contribute to filling the gap identified in the problem statement: What original contribution will this study make?

2. How this research will support professional practice or allow practical application: Answer the So what? question.

3. How the claim aligns with the problem statement to reflect the potential relevance of this study to society: How might the potential findings lead to positive social change ?