Bibliometric analysis of the literature on work and family conflict in the context of gender

The intense competitive environment, digitalization, and rigid working hours of modern working life make it increasingly difficult for individuals to balance their work and family lives. In particular, expectations shaped by gender roles cause female and male employees to experience these processes differently, turning the concept of "work-family conflict" into a multidimensional phenomenon. The main objective of this study is to systematically reveal the developmental course, structural characteristics, and trends of the international literature addressing work-family conflict within the context of gender. Within the scope of the research, a scan was conducted via the Web of Science (WoS) database using the keywords "gender" and "work family conflict" without any year limitation, and a total of 1663 publications covering the period between 1989 and 2025 were included in the analysis. The obtained data were subjected to performance analysis, science mapping, and network analyses using R Studio (Biblioshiny package) and VOSviewer software. The analysis results indicate that publications on work-family conflict and gender have gained momentum since the 2000s, reaching the highest number of publications in 2024. While "work-family conflict," "gender," and "women" are the most frequently used keywords in the literature; the thematic evolution analysis revealed that topics are clustered around concepts such as "time," "work-life balance," "inequality," and "motherhood." When country collaborations are examined, it is seen that countries such as New Zealand, the USA, and the UK are in a central position. Consequently, it was determined that although the field is still largely conflict-oriented, there has been an expansion towards positive concepts such as balance and harmony in recent years. For future studies, it is suggested to include current variables such as hybrid work models and digital burnout in the process.