Statuses, roles, and the sense of mattering

Individuals with a sense of mattering perceive they are acknowledged and relevant in the lives of other people, Using data from a representative sample of adults age eighteen to fifty-five from Toronto, Canada, who are employed in the paid labor force, we examine the effects of statuses, roles, and occupational conditions on mattering. Being female, having children, and holding jobs with more autonomy, complexity, fulfillment, and supervision duties enriches the conviction of mattering. Relationship and parental strains are related negatively to mattering, which conceals the positive effects of spousal-partner and parental roles. Results show gender-contingent effects: women in our sample derive greater benefits for mattering from education, but they also are affected more negatively by work-to-home conflict. Conversely, in our findings, men gain more from having children and being involved in a relationship, but they are also affected more negatively by relationship strains. Other results show that the positive relationship of age with job autonomy and complexity suppresses its negative association with mattering. Collectively, these results add to knowledge about the social-structural influences on the self-concept.