Any day now, 350 Syracuse families will be tapped for a Cornell research project on working families. It is hoped the Cornell Community Study will glean insight into the challenges people face as they juggle work and family responsibilities. The researchers hope to determine how communities and companies could be structured to help working families meet their many responsibilities.

Randomly selected residents in the Syracuse area will receive a letter in the mail in the next few weeks, explaining the study in greater detail. Researchers will follow-up by telephone to discuss the study. Eligible volunteers will receive $25 each for completing an interview that involves a series of questions about their work and family life. Participants are guaranteed full anonymity, and no individual will be identifiable in any of the study reports. Participants also will receive occasional updates on study findings.

By participating in the study, the Syracuse residents will have the opportunity to inform researchers of their experiences in their workplaces and neighborhoods. This information will help policymakers understand the many challenges that confront working families, researchers say. It also will give residents a voice in shaping programs that will help companies and communities assist families.

The study is being conducted in the Cornell Employment and Family Careers Institute by Phyllis Moen, a professor of sociology and human development at Cornell. The study is part of a larger project, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, now entering its fourth year of research. The institute was founded in 1997 to study couples' experiences in their workplaces and families. It also helps train the next generation of scholars in work/family research and provides outreach to companies, employees and communities.