Who Sticks with the Work: Career Commitment of Women Social Workers in Early Childhood Development

• In Event: Empowering China's Youngest Rural Children: Uniting Intervention Research and Policy Advocacy for Lasting Impacts

Abstract

Objectives and Theoretical Framework
This study aims to explore the factors influencing career motivations and long-term commitment among women social workers in early childhood development (ECD) programs in low-resource rural settings of China. The research aims to fulfill the crucial gap in understanding women's labor participation in informal work environments, particularly in the context of the China REACH project. The objectives include examining how individual characteristics and family backgrounds affect career motivations and commitment, with potential moderators such as individual and family characteristics, current professional status, and career perceptions. The theoretical framework of this study is grounded in career commitment theory, adapting Blau's (1985) Career Commitment scale and incorporating elements from scales developed for Chinese primary and kindergarten teachers.

Methods
The study employs a mixed-method approach, primarily utilizing quantitative analysis supported by qualitative interviews. The quantitative component involves a survey using adapted versions of the Career Commitment scale and the Choosing Teaching Profession as a Career Scale. These instruments measure career commitment across emotional, normative, and continuance dimensions, as well as career-choosing motivations categorized as extrinsic, altruistic-intrinsic, and family care. Complementing this, semi-structured interviews were conducted to provide deeper insights and explanations for the quantitative findings.

Initial validation of the scales involved a preliminary study in three rural areas of western China, yielding 216 valid questionnaire samples. The formal survey was then conducted in ethnic minority communities in rural areas of a municipality, resulting in 328 valid questionnaire samples. Additionally, 35 one-to-one interviews were conducted with randomly sampled social workers from two other counties, providing rich qualitative data.

Results
The results reveal significant variations in career commitment levels among social workers with different backgrounds. Notably, older workers and those with children demonstrate stronger commitment. Interestingly, less educated social workers show higher emotional, normative, and overall commitment compared to their more educated counterparts. The study also finds that all career-choosing motivations positively correlate with overall career commitment, with extrinsic motives showing the strongest relationship. Furthermore, career-choosing motivations significantly mediate the relationship between social workers' background variables and their career commitment, with altruistic-intrinsic motivation emerging as the most influential pathway.

Significance

The scientific and scholarly significance of this study lies in its contribution to understanding the unique characteristics of rural women's participation in the public service system, informal job market, and social governance at the grassroots level. It highlights how the localization and flexibility of informal employment have shaped rural women's participation in the ECD sector. The study challenges simplistic attributions of career choices to institutional barriers or discrimination, instead emphasizing the role of women's agency in shaping their career decisions. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and education researchers, offering new perspectives on sustaining and improving ECD interventions in rural areas. By illuminating the factors influencing career commitment among rural women social workers, the study contributes to the development of more effective strategies for retaining these crucial workforce members in ECD programs, ultimately enhancing the sustainability and impact of interventions like the China REACH project.

Authors

• Zhixin Du, China Development Research Foundation

• Yiluo Mose, China Development Research Foundation

• Chaoyu Ao, University of Cambridge

• Yi Qie, China Development Research Foundation

• Shuoshan Guo, China Development Research Foundation

• Xiaoshan Zhang, China Development Research Foundation