Abstract
This study addresses the impact of intergenerational transmission on women’s work–family life. Drawn from the two-generation sample in the Youth Development Study, this study examines the effects of intergenerational similarity in working status, intergenerational communication, and social support on women’s work and family satisfaction. The study controlled for family of origin socioeconomic status, working hours, relationship duration, and number of children. The results show that intergenerational transmission of work–family configurations from mothers to daughters does exist in their general employment status, but the effects on women’s family satisfaction occur mostly through intergenerational communication. Additionally, social support from both work and family is found to have direct and indirect impacts on women’s work and family satisfaction. The findings can be used to advance a tentative model to examine intergenerational transmission effects and verify the importance of social support in promoting women’s functional outcomes at work and home.