¡Si se puede! how Latina principals successfully balance work and family life

2012-04-27Women leaders in education have historically struggled to balance work and family life because of societal expectations that they are to prioritize the home and family domain over their careers. Assigned gender roles make maintaining balance a complex process for women leaders because they are responsible for numerous duties and obligations both at work and with their families. Society continues to perceive women primarily as mothers, wives, and caregivers, resulting in women bearing the responsibility for household matters such as child care and spending on average more time than men completing domestic obligations. Because of these competing priorities, women often forego principal positions. ❧ The significance of this study is to make a contribution to the body of research pertaining to women leaders in education, particularly at the level of school principal, by examining how three Latina principals balance work and family life. This study used qualitative research to examine the challenges Latina principals face in their professional and personal lives, the support systems they rely on to fulfill their multiple roles, and the strategies they utilize to maintain work and family life balance. The challenges discussed by the Latina principals included: (a) cultural upbringing, (b) ethnic identity (c) external barriers, (d) guilt, (e) marital strain, and (f) time constraints. The participants relied on the following support systems to fulfill their multiple roles: (a) husbands, (b) mothers and grandmothers, (c) family members, friends, and day care centers, and (d) influential individuals working in education. Finally, the strategies the Latina principals used to achieve work/family balance included (a) prioritizing, (b) planning, (c) integration, and (d) accepting limitations