Analysis of The Economics of Women, Men, and Work Book by Blau, Francine - Essay Example

The open market system with huge commercialization has been able to succeed in replacing the conventional collaboration in economic relations with that of competition. The author tells about the economics of the family, the changes within married-couple families, and the changing family structure that have made the division of labor within the family much decisive with the increase in opportunities in the labor market.

Due to the changing composition of the family, the structure tends to get changed and has an impact on the economic contribution in terms of labor supply, demand, and many more other factors. Due to the structure, the market movement can also shift with respect to different factors and be responsible also for such changes in the market. The allocation of housework between women and men depends upon the residency of the house (rural or urban), the number of children, marital situation (cohabiting or married), and the record of total family income.

It is at a certain point of time becomes unexplainable regarding the allocation of housework from the point of view of gender ideology. But there are times when the approaches towards housework orientation of family members do not have any significant effect on the behavior. Declined marriage rate, age of marriage, and increase in the divorce rate are the main factors responsible for affecting the value of the nonmarket related factor. Women have been acquiring additional job-oriented education and preparation, their market efficiency has been growing relative to their home productivity.

The authors have highlighted the need for female participation in the labor market, along with it they have emphasized females and their capabilities in the labor market. The women in the general social structure are bound to perform and stick to the household work. They generally don’t get any time to participate in any other activity or to perform any job.

The authors in this chapter have highlighted the need for maximization of the income of any family unit as a primary aim, therefore there is a need established for the females to distribute a fair amount of time in both household and outside activities.