Single student-mothers’ work-life balance and the challenges of multiple roles

Abstract

While the debates concerning work-life balance continue to proliferate among employees of traditional organisations, its importance for students cannot be ignored. This article is based on interviews with 21 single student-mothers who are enrolled in full-time study at university and have other non-academic roles to fulfil. It examines the challenges, consequences, and coping mechanisms of single student-mothers involved in meeting the demands of their multiple roles. The findings highlight the nature of single student-mothers’ work-life balance, lives, and role challenges as well as the consequences of combining multiple competing roles. The findings of this study show that single student-mothers struggle to combine their multiple roles and achieve work-life balance. The study highlights the importance of familial and social support as well as the ‘sister keeper’ initiative in fulfilling multiple role demand and in creating a satisfactory balance between single student-mothers’ different spheres of life. Some recommendations are given for students and university policymakers to address the needs of the growing number of single student-mothers.