A Baylor University study has shed light on the often-overlooked experiences of women doing "daughtering" in families, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which created immense challenges in their relationships with parents and other family members.

"Daughtering" refers to the ways adult daughters contribute to flourishing family relationships, according to Allison M. Alford, Ph.D., clinical associate professor in the Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics in Baylor's Hankamer School of Business.

Alford's latest research, "Daughterwork in Times of Social Upheaval," published in Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, explores how societal changes caused by the pandemic required women to reconfigure their relationships with their parents and emphasizes the critical role adult daughters play in maintaining family connections, particularly in times of crisis.

"This study highlights how social upheavals like the COVID-19 pandemic can both challenge and reinforce the essential work that daughters do in their families," Alford said. "Past research has shown that women often bear the brunt of responsibility when crises occur at home, work or in the extended family.

"Particularly for professional women—those who are balancing changing workplace demands alongside immediate and extended family concerns as well as societal shifts—increased care needs or the perception of such for parents can increase stress and negatively impact well-being, yet women still persist in providing upstream support for a variety of reasons."

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