The Economics of Men, Women and Work - Essay Example

In the third chapter, Blau et al. (2009) claim that the family continues to act as an economic unit where the adults remain the major decision-makers and make rational decisions through informed choices for the welfare of the whole family rather than for individuals. It is especially true for semi-urban and rural areas where the family is an intrinsic part of social structure and still acts as the integrated economic unit. The challenges of the fast-changing social equations and societal values have also brought forth gender biases as major controversial issues.

The chapter reasserts that the significant contribution of gender stratification to the economy within and outside the family. The chapter four elaborates that in the home economics of the changing society, the distribution of time between household and labor market is closely linked to home labor time where the market goods are changed into commodities that are utilized for the maximum good of the family. The authors assert that the time spent on home production is as important as the time spent on paid work that helps to buy goods from the market.

They have redefined home production efforts of the women at home and made them a vital part of home economics. They emphasize the gender equity amongst the working population vis-à-vis wage, work distribution, and consequently influencing the consumption pattern of the goods produced. Thus the authors have given a new perspective to equitable distribution to the gender-based economic contribution within and outside the home. The fifth chapter clearly demonstrates the new changing perspectives vis-à-vis gender-based stratification of job and emphasis on gender equality.

Blau et al. consider that the discrepancy in the roles of the males and females had started diminishing when women started going out to earn and contribute financially in the household expenditures. While the gender segregation in occupation has become a major indicator of gender inequality, affirmative actions in the workplace have encouraged gender participation at all levels and thereby reduced the economic disparity in wages amongst the working population. The authors believe that understanding cross-cultural perspectives and mutual cooperation is the key to successfully manage the gender-based division of labor.

The evolving perception of gender equality has considerably narrowed the economic disparity where women doing home chores have become the key labor participant of the home production unit without whom the market earnings cannot be fully utilized.(526)