The issue of women going to work or staying at home after marriage is a complex dilemma that requires the consideration of various issues in its deliberation. It is an important topic that has had several argumentative responses. For instance, Holland & Collins (2018), explain that every woman should be given the right to choose and let to decide on what fits them or what works for them. Issues, including economic factors and cultural orientation, are critical in determining whether women should stay at home or go to work after marriage.
The economic factors, especially those that come after marriage, such as childbearing and child-rearing expenses, are among the factors that families have to deal with. The decision for a woman to stay at home or to go for work, with this factor in consideration, will be based on the cheaper alternative between caring for the children personally or paying career givers to care for the children while they are at work (Holland & Collins, 2018). Women with a smaller number of children find it more convenient and economical to join the labor force while they pay other individuals to take care of their children (Figure 1). However, women with a higher number of children prefer to stay home and care for their children individually, especially at the earlier stages of the lives of their children.
The element of the cultural factors is also significant in the determination of whether to stay home or go and work after marriages. There are some cultures where women are socialized to operate as home builders and characterized to understand their roles as home builders. In these cultures, it is more natural and convenient for women to stay at home after marriage. While cultural factors have reduced in effect on how they affect the operations of people, their contributions are vital as they are highly essential.
Figure 1: Chart Representation of Why Women Leave Their Work (Source: Vijaidren & Nokman, 2017)
