Psychosocial Profile Differences of Working Women Serving Different Service Pedestals

Page: 17-21
Sayantani Chatterjee (Department of Psychology, Loreto College, Kolkata, West Bengal)

For the present study a sample of 80 working women (40 from corporate organizations & 40 from educational institutions) were selected to determine their psychosocial profile differences as shaped by their job structure and also as they play the dual role of managing families and fulfilling job requirements. The variables selected as psychosocial profile factors were anxiety, defense mechanism and locus of control. These variables were considered relevant and applicable since working women have to constantly balance varied ends together, reach job targets, satisfy others at home and at work and also derive a sense of self-fulfillment and appreciation which maybe blended with both success and failure. In addition to this, working women face the transitions in job markets, associated stresses in the positions offered to them and discrimination centering around gender, pay and other facilities/benefits as received. The results obtained from the present study revealed that the two groups of working women did not differ significantly with respect to the variables of anxiety, defense mechanisms and locus of control. However, the mean score of Locus of Control, State Anxiety, Trait Anxiety, Defense Mechanisms of Turning Against Object, Projection and Principalization were higher in case of women working in educational institutions. The mean score of Defemse Mechanisms of Turning Against Self and Reversal were higher in case of women working in corporate organizations. Thus the psychosocial orientations of both the groups, though marginally different in terms of mean scores of the variables, essentially revealed homogeneity of the chosen sample of working women and the overall psyche of women in general.