[Female employment, pregnancy leave, and reintegration into the work force]

This article summarizes a project conducted between 1981 and 1985, in which "the research was aimed at a comprehensive description of maternity protection legislation in Austria and its effects on women's status within the family and on the labour market." It includes a historical analysis of maternity protection laws since the 1880s, an investigation into the theoretical approaches to women's work and maternity leave and the connection to women's participation in the labor market, a survey of women's employment since the 1960s, an analysis of statistical data on recipients of maternity leave payments in the 1980s, a study of the relationship between women's working careers and confinement patterns, and models and social policy reform proposals that would facilitate the employment of mothers (SUMMARY IN ENG)

Fertility, sex role attitudes, and labor force participation

Data from the 1970 National Fertility Study were used to investigate the relationships between sex role attitudes and the childbearing and labor force participation of women. While several relevant dimensions of sex role attitudes were identified, it was found that the most crucial aspect for working and fertility was the extent to which the woman identified the female role as that of housewife and homemaker. Those having traditional definitions concerning this role were less likely to be working, and had fewer plans to work in the future. In addition, as expected, women with traditional sex role definitions had more children than others. While the orientation of the woman toward the home was the primary correlate of work and fertility, those who felt that women had little control over their lives had higher fertility than others—a relationship which could be explained partially, but not entirely, in terms of unplanned childbearing.