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Chapter 3 - A Single Mom on the Teeter-Totter of Work and Life

Kendra Dyanne Rivera

With help from C.J. Rivera and “All the Single Ladies” Participants

Synopsis

Sara is a single mom who is negotiating work and life outside of work. Sara’s experiences are a “composite character,” drawn from interviews with 21 single mothers who discussed the strategies they use to “manage” it all. Sara strives to find creative ways to negotiate spaces of joy and flexibility in her many identities so that she can be both a “good mom” and a “good employee.”

Keywords: Work-life, Organizational Identity, Single Mothers, Cultural Awareness, Stigma

Key Takeaways and Take a Stand Form

Key Takeaways

This case study highlights:

  1. the importance of organizational identity and wellness for all occupations (not just “white collar”);
  2. the need for workplaces to value culture and develop cultural intelligence;
  3. the potential positive organizational outcomes when workplaces cultivate employees’ wellness; and
  4. the ways workers and workplaces can create spaces of resistance.

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