Hyper-Separation as a Tool for Work/Life Balance: Commuting in Academia

• In Event: Work-Life Balance: Is It Possible?

Abstract

Given the declining number of tenure-track positions, the academic job market has become fiercely competitive, often forcing faculty to make difficult choices, including living apart from their families. These individuals become commuting couples, neatly segmenting their professional and personal lives, thus creating a hyper-separation between work and family. Using boundary theory and work/family border theory, we analyzed data from interviews with 36 participants who were members of commuting couples to explore how they managed, were shaped by, and moved between the domains of work and family. Participants emphasized the ways that being separated helped deepen their personal relationships as well as allowed them to focus solely on their academic responsibilities while away.

Authors

• Danielle V. Lewis, University at Buffalo - SUNY

• Margaret W. Sallee, University at Buffalo - SUNY