The economics of housespousery: An essay on household work

The economic model of the household has been used extensively to examine questions relating to work within the household. This essay takes a critical look at this model and these household work applications. It concludes that the model provides several useful insights regarding factors that have influenced the decline in women's household work time during this century and the changes in the overall economic value of household work. In other areas (e.g., parental child care), the model has rarely been used although it has the potential to provide useful insights. Finally, in certain applications, such as investigations of the gender-related specialization of function within the household, the model relies on unrealistic assumptions that need to be modified if it is to prove useful. His research interests include the consumption, investiment, and time-use behavior of families and family members. Her research interests include family time allocation, household structure and economic well-being, and consumer policy.