Economic Roles of Wives and Family Economic Development

Abstract

A model of family economic development is conceptualized in terms of economic role behavior of wives. This model is integrated with existing family development models and the implications of a family economic development model for family theory is assessed. Using data from several sources, the economic output of the two modes of role performance, as paid and unpaid workers, is calculated and the pattern of output relative to stage of family economic development is analyzed. The mode of wives' role performance and total economic lifespan output are unrelated. The stage offamily economic development with the highest level of output and mode of performance are related. Change in family structure and function is currently a subject of much interest to students of the family. This paper argues that familial change cannot be fully understood without considering the economic role of women. There is a good deal of evidence to support the view that the impetus for these social role changes may be dissatisfaction with and the consequent attempt to reinterpret economic roles, particularly the economic roles of women. Certainly some of the most distinguishing characteristics of the present social movement are deeply rooted in economic concerns: redistribution of responsibility for household tasks between spouses, the issue of paid versus unpaid productive roles for wives, the interest in day-care as a substitute for home care of children are all expressions of points of view about how economic roles of women may be carried out. Viewed from a structure-function conceptual framework, change in the family as a social system may be the result of the need to support change in the family as an economic system. It is a major premise of this paper that the impact of these changes cannot be fully assessed apart from their impact on the economic welfare of families, yet the measurement of economic activity of wives has received little attention, particularly as it is viewed from a lifespan perspective. This may be due to the lack of an adequate conceptual framework for organizing data about the complex set of factors related to economic role behavior of wives. In his review article on