Single Working Mothers and Socio-Economic-Cultural Environment in India: An Empirical Study

Within a complex social fabric interwoven into the Indian working class, this research studies the socio-economic-cultural environment of India in the context of single working mothers and the impact of the generation gap on the perceived socio-economic-cultural environment of Indian society for single working mothers (SWMs). Considering the scarce importance given to human rights in India, the need to study employed single working mothers was identified as a key focus area. The study was based on primary data collected from 577 single working mothers from eight states of India. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used to develop a model for the socio-economic-cultural environment of the Indian society for single working mothers. The study highlighted four major socio-economic-cultural environment factors which influence single working mothers. These factors were mainly work environment, employment challenges, community and society prejudices, and family responsibilities. Out of these four, old and new generation single working mothers have the same community perceptions, culture, prejudices, family responsibilities, and work environment. Findings from this study may be used by industry to develop more inclusive workspaces and policies that recognize the contributions of single working mothers; from a societal standpoint, key takeaways challenge existing notions of childcare and careers. The paper could serve as a wake-up call for social organizations that assist in policymaking regarding career-oriented mothers who don multiple roles and are motivated to excel in all walks of life.