Household Labor Research Articles

The association between loneliness with health service use and quality of life among informal carers in Australia

ObjectiveThe demanding nature of caregiving and limited social support can lead to informal carers experiencing loneliness, which can impact their well-being and overall health service use (HSU). The study aims to examine the association between loneliness with HSU and Health state utility values among informal carers in Australia. MethodsData were derived from three waves (2009, 2013, and 2017) of the nationally representative longitudinal Household Income and Labour Dynamics of Australia (HILDA) survey, focusing on adult informal carers. Outcome measures included visits to the General Practitioner, the number of hospital admissions, and the SF-6D score. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) analysis was conducted to explore the associations between loneliness and HSU, as well as loneliness and utility values (based on SF-6D) while adjusting for age, sex, education, marital status, income, and physical/mental health conditions. ResultsAfter controlling for covariates, lonely carers reported lower utility values (IRR = 0.91, 95%CI [0.89, 0.93], p < 0.001) compared to non-lonely carers. Lonely carers reported a higher number of GP visits (IRR = 1.18, 95% CI [1.04, 1.36], p < 0.05) as well as a higher likelihood of visiting specialists (AOR = 1.31, p = 0.046) and hospital doctors (AOR = 1.42, p = 0.013) compared to the non-lonely carers. ConclusionsThe findings of this study highlight the relationship between loneliness on both healthcare utilization and carers’ overall well-being. Addressing loneliness through targeted interventions and social support systems can help improve health outcomes and potentially reduce the overall healthcare costs among informal carers in Australia.

Parenthood wage gaps in multinational enterprises

While multinational enterprises (MNEs) are widely recognized for providing employment to a significant number of women around the globe, empirical evidence suggests that existing gender inequalities may be aggravated rather than alleviated in their subsidiaries. We build on gender theory to better understand how gender is construed and enacted differently in MNE subsidiaries compared to domestic firms, particularly with regard to the differential effects of parenthood on wage gaps for male versus female employees. Because of the relatively more demanding working conditions in MNE subsidiaries and their gendered policies and practices, we hypothesize that the motherhood penalty and fatherhood bonus are larger in MNE subsidiaries than in domestic firms. Using an extensive database of micro-level data of over 36,500 employees in 57 countries, we find a larger fatherhood bonus in MNE subsidiaries compared to domestic firms, but no significant difference in the motherhood penalty. Our results suggest that shifting entrenched gendered social beliefs and divisions of household labor is not the only pathway to gender equality, and call for a critical examination of gender-related values, perceptions, policies, and practices in MNEs, beyond a focus on supporting women (with children). We discuss managerial, theoretical, and societal implications accordingly.

A Case of Sticky Gender? Persistence and Change in the Division of Household Labor during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Contemporary research finds that gender continues to provide an organizing framework for couples’ allocation of household labor. To explain this outcome, scholars focus on how structural arrangements and cultural beliefs contribute to the persistence of gender inequality in domestic labor. Yet scholarship has yet to fully clarify what combination of cultural and structural factors create persistent gender inequality in household labor. We use the COVID-19 pandemic as a naturally occurring event in which arrangements for childcare and work were upended, making it possible for many to rethink their household arrangements. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 81 respondents in heterosexual dual-earner couples, we examine how change in structural arrangements allowed some couples to develop a more egalitarian division of domestic labor. We also examine why an unequal division of labor persisted for most couples even amid the dramatic changes in their work and childcare arrangements and, for some, a strong desire to do so. We theorize that, taken alone, neither cultural attitudes nor shifts in the organization of work are sufficient to remove the stickiness of gender inequality in household work. Instead, structural change offers the possibility to change behavior, but only if cultural beliefs exist that make such change desirable.

Determinants of household dependency on Buxa Tiger Reserve in India for fuelwood collection and livestock grazing

The present study examined the extent and pattern of households' dependency on forest for fuelwood and livestock grazing and identifies, analyzed the key factors that determined the level of households' dependency and access to forest resources, and explored the role of ecotourism development in reducing the same. The study used primary data collected randomly from 300 households residing in the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR). The study found that the majority of households (88%) engaged in fuelwood collection, and the annual average fuelwood collection was estimated to be 1,502.8 kg. About 56.67% of households were found to be engaged in grazing activities, and on average, 2.57 adult cattle units were brought inside the forest for grazing. The regression results suggested that the education of the household head, household income, liquefied petroleum gas availability, participation in ecotourism, livestock availability, social background (caste), and the number of household labour were the key determinants of household dependency on fuelwood, while the age of the household head, family size, land holding size, participation in ecotourism, and social background (caste) significantly influenced the level of household grazing dependency on the BTR. Most households were affected due to restrictions levied on access to forest resources. Income from forest, fuelwood collection, agricultural landholding size, household dependency ratio, and forest department awareness levels were the key determinants of households affected by protected area (PA) restrictions. Household participation in ecotourism was found to be effective in reducing household dependency on BTR, but it did not adequately alleviate the impact of PA restrictions on their livelihoods. Hence, sustainable ecotourism, along with the provision of smokeless stoves and renewable energy, such as solar, could go a long way in reducing pressure on the BTR and sustainable management of the reserve.

An Insurgent Mood: Lorraine Hansberry on the Politics of Home

This article takes as its starting point a 1961 conversation between James Baldwin and Lorraine Hansberry, where the latter first posed the question that would recur in Baldwin’s writings in the following years: “Is it necessary to integrate oneself into a burning house?” Although the phrase is often associated with Baldwin, who mostly used it as a metaphor for the racist nation, most famously in The Fire Next Time (1963), this article shows how Hansberry’s analysis of many African Americans’ skepticism toward integration into a “burning house” was situated in a global context of anticolonial, anti-capitalist, and feminist struggle. Writing within networks of Black internationalist feminists and presenting a multivalent and relational account of home, Hansberry revealed household labor and relations of intimacy to be central to the making and maintenance of empire, racism, and capitalism, as well as their contestation through acts and affects of insurgency.

The Relationship between International Migration, Agricultural Employment, and Household Labor Force in Türkiye

There isn't much academic research on the impacts of immigration on the labor market and job structure at the national level, although Türkiye is one of the nation’s hosting the greatest populations of refugees. Because of the scarcity of information, a research gap exists. As a result, the study was carried out to determine the impact of international migration on agricultural employment and the changes in agricultural employment in Türkiye. Johansen Co-integration and Granger Causality analyses were performed on data from 1988 to 2018 to evaluate the change in the agricultural workforce in Türkiye and to demonstrate the temporal influence of immigration. According to the findings of the cointegration study, a rise in emigration has a negative impact on the agricultural areas and agricultural employment while having a good impact on agricultural GDP. Migration has long-term detrimental consequences. According to the causality study, there is a one-way link between migration and agricultural GDP. A panel data analysis was performed to establish the short-term detrimental impact of migration on agricultural employment, as well as how the structure of employment altered and developed during this process. The statistics provide temporal data from 2004 to 2020, and the individual's agricultural employment status, education, income, continuous employment, and extra work status are cross-sectional data. According to the Panel Logistic Regression Analysis results, while more educated and higher income individuals leave away from the agricultural sector, the desire to have a side job leads the individual to the agricultural sector. International migration has a detrimental impact on agricultural employment and its structure in this scenario. As a result, the sustainability of the working arrangements established by immigration regulations should be assured, and limits and constraints should be implemented, particularly in the agricultural sector. When agricultural employees transition to other industries, agricultural areas are being used in ways that were not planned. As a result, in the long run, the decline in output may have a negative impact on agricultural GDP. This condition has been the topic of several research and may serve as the foundation for new ones.

Gender differences in agricultural productivity in Côte d'Ivoire: Distribution, drivers, and changes over time

AbstractThis paper analyzes changes in agricultural productivity gender gaps in Côte d'Ivoire between 2008 and 2016 using decomposition methods. The analysis finds that the gender gap went from 40% in food crops and 17% in exports crops in 2008, to 19% in food crops and a statistical zero in export crops in 2016. The overall gender gap decreased by 15 percentage points over this period, and is statistically insignificant in 2016 once accounting for whether households farm export crops. Moreover, our results show that while some drivers of the gender gap remain stable across the decade (including total land cultivated, and pesticide and fertilizer use), others change their contribution (number of plots, crop choice and household labor). Despite substantial improvements, female‐headed households in the bottom half of the distribution remain disadvantaged. Our results indicate that strengthening women's access to agricultural labor and adoption of export crops are policy priorities to reach gender parity.

Micro-entrepreneurship, Institutional Environment and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison of Weaving Clusters in West Bengal, India

This article compares micro-enterprises’ performance and the entrepreneurial ability of weavers as perceived by the weavers themselves under two different institutional environments: one dominated by a cooperative society and the other dominated by private traders. Weavers in the private trader-dominated institutional environment are more likely to introduce new designs, develop new products and usher client satisfaction. However, the determinants of overall entrepreneurial ability reveal that after controlling for several factors, the weavers associated with a cooperative society seem to have significantly higher abilities. Analysing the marginal effects of the institutional environment, it is observed that the perceived quality of handlooms, weaver’s ability to bargain for returns and ability to efficiently manage business finances are much better in the cooperative-dominated cluster as compared to the private trader-dominated cluster. Furthermore, the resilience of enterprises during the COVID-19 pandemic was much higher in the cooperative-dominated business environment. Enterprises using more unpaid female household labour were more resilient than others during the pandemic.

Social contacts, neighborhoods and individual unemployment risk

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to empirically investigate whether social contacts can mediate the way in which current unemployment impacts future unemployment.Design/methodology/approachWe use 2006–2017 data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey and a dynamic random-effects model to describe the evolution of individual unemployment status over time.FindingsOnce controlled for the local context where individuals live and create friendships, we find that above-average social contacts reduce unemployment persistence. However, social contacts seem to be slightly less effective in deprived neighborhoods. These findings are consistent with the idea that individuals obtain information about job opportunities through a network of social contacts, and unemployment may lead to a decay of social capital, making it more difficult to find employment in future periods. Our results also show that neighborhood deprivation increases individual unemployment risk, while above-average neighborhood cohesion reduces the probability of unemployment in deprived neighborhoods.Originality/valueAlthough many studies have been published on unemployment persistence, to the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study quantifying the impact of social contacts on unemployment persistence. The study also offers fresh empirical evidence on the impact of neighborhood characteristics on unemployment risk.

Factors influencing seed cotton marketing decisions by smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe

Economic reforms such as the liberalization of export and processing-linked marketing channels have encouraged farmers to produce more. Unfortunately, cotton production in Zimbabwe has been declining regardless of such interventions. Why is the production declining despite these interventions including the government-free inputs and supported extension services? Cotton marketing is one of the main factors that influence overall quantities of a commodity to be produced but the practices and behavior of farmers are relatively unknown and unpredictable in the cotton markets. Therefore, this study was to explore factors influencing smallholder farmers' cotton marketing decisions in three cotton-producing provinces of Zimbabwe. A representative sample of 1080 cotton farmers were randomly selected from these provinces and a double hurdle model was used to evaluate market participation and intensity guided by probit model and censored tobit model respectively. Results showed that the decision to participate in cotton marketing was exclusively influenced by experience in cotton production while the intensity of cotton marketing was exclusively influenced by household labour and access to information. Market prices did not significantly (P&lt;0.05) influence both the participation and intensity of cotton markets. The source of inputs and affiliation to marketing associations influence both marketing decisions. It is recommended that the government of Zimbabwe should revise the existing cotton marketing policies to encourage many buyers into cotton markets. The establishment of cotton marketing hubs can increase cotton marketing participation and intensity through increased access to decentralised marketing options.

The impact of urban integration on the intention of settlement and residence among migrants: The empirical evidence from China

Promoting urban integration is the key to improving the efficiency of labor allocation in developing countries and promoting coordinated regional development. Using the data of the migrants' observation sample in 2012–2017 released by China Migrants Dynamic Survey, this paper draws on theories related to urban integration and labor migration to study the urban integration status, intention of settlement and residence in China's agricultural household labor force in depth, as well as the correlation between the two. The study finds a significant decline in the intention of settlement and a gradual increase in the intention of residence among the migrants. The empirical regressions suggest that good urban integration, especially psychological integration, mainly contributes to their intention of settlement and residence, while the intention of residence is also more influenced by the social and economic integration dimensions. The mediating effect tests reveal that income level and housing stability are key pathways to economic integration, public medical participation and accessibility to medical services are key pathways to health integration, social status and local attachment are key pathways to social integration, and identity affiliation and psychological assimilation are key pathways to psychological integration. Future urbanization in developing countries requires not only further reform of the household registration system but also government, business, and social organizations at all levels to reduce the difficulties of urban integration in economic, health, social, and psychological aspects, enhance the degree of urban integration of the migrants, increase the intention of the migrants to settle and stay in different places and avoid the "migratory bird" migration of labor between regions. The "migratory bird" migration between regions is avoided.

Some Solutions to Reduce Educational Inequality between Urban and Rural In Vietnam

Education is given special attention by the Vietnamese government. People from all socio-economic classes are given opportunities to participate in learning. However, due to differences in natural, economic and social conditions, educational inequality between urban and rural areas still exists. This research is based on the Household Living Standards Survey Report, Statistical Yearbook, Labor and Employment Survey Report, Population Change and Family Planning Survey Report, and other official reports of General Statistics Office of Vietnam. Analysis results show that there is still inequality in opportunities to access and complete education, in spending on education and getting high-income jobs post education between urban and rural areas. Based on these analysis results, this article proposes some solutions to reduce educational inequality between urban and rural regions in Vietnam.

Closed doors: Domestic space, household labor, and the reproduction of gender inequality in the pandemic lockdown

Closed doors: Domestic space, household labor, and the reproduction of gender inequality in the pandemic lockdown

Default property rules for same-gender marriages: equivalence over equality?

Abstract More and more jurisdictions accept that marriage should be open for all couples, both different and same gender. While this identical application of marriage as an institution is not open for debate, differences between same-gender couples and different-gender couples may have some value as to the precise content of marital property rules. Existing research finds that same-gender couples better represent the modern-day relationship model of equal role distribution, as they pursue a more egalitarian division of household labour and a greater individualization of finances than different-gender couples. Nevertheless, marital property rules have exclusively been shaped by the perspective of and inequalities experienced by (traditional) different-gender couples. The resulting heteronormative rules impose a degree of solidarity and protection that same-gender couples may not desire or need. Through 12 interviews, we carry out a first step in exploring the patrimonial wishes and needs of same-gender couples. We find that multiple interviewees prefer more autonomy during their relationship, while there is a preference to share assets upon a break-up or divorce. Consequently, we argue that a separation-based regime with a participation in the assets accumulated during the relationships offers a more appropriate property regime for same-gender couples than a community-based regime. While additional research is essential, the current findings could already offer arguments in further refining the current default regime for all married couples.

‘It’s a Man’s Job’: Doing Gender and Male Gatekeeping in the Division of Household Labor

Changes to domestic divisions of labor have been widely documented, but some tasks seem particularly resistant to change. Using the lens of ‘doing gender’, this article draws on interviews with 25 heterosexual working parent British couples who produced a ‘household portrait’ of their division of labor. It examines how they explain men’s continuing responsibility for ‘man-typed’ domestic tasks and why this is so resistant to change. Although men’s ‘gatekeeping’ of these tasks is consequential for the overall household division of labor, there is relatively little opposition from their women partners. This gatekeeping reproduces gendered meanings of ‘man-typed’ tasks and enables both men and women to ‘do gender’ while supporting their image of a ‘sharing’ couple.

Job Loss and Household Labor Supply Adjustments in Developing Countries: Evidence from Argentina

Abstract Using longitudinal data for Argentina, this paper estimates the labor supply reaction of spouses and children, as well as the interactions between them, following the job loss of their husband or father. The findings show that job loss by the household head has a positive and significant impact on the labor supply of other household members. However, it increases the likelihood of spouses to switch to informal and downgraded employment, and of children to drop out from education. While effects are stronger among vulnerable households, coverage of social security does not provide enough support in coping with unemployment shocks. Mothers’ labor participation, however, may allow their daughters to continue their education.

Factors Affecting the Rice Yield During the Rainy Season Among Farmers in Southeastern Cambodia

A research study utilized the Cobb-Douglas production function to examine the elements influencing paddy production during the wet season in three rural provinces of Cambodia. This analysis was based on data gathered from a survey of farmers&amp;rsquo; households conducted in 2022. The study discovered that the use of fertilizers and herbicides, the size of the family, and income from off-farm sources significantly impacted the output of wet-season paddy. A one percent increase in the use of fertilizer, herbicide, and family size resulted in an increase in rice output by 0.06 percent, 0.04 percent, and 0.05 percent respectively. Furthermore, a one percent increase in the age of the household head, hired labor, and off-farm income led to an increase in rice yield by 0.08 percent, 0.11 percent, and 0.05 percent respectively. The use of seeds, pesticides, household labor, and the education level of the household heads were found to enhance rice yields in southeastern Cambodia. However, these production relationships varied significantly across different regions. The study concluded that higher yields during the rainy season improved the effectiveness of paddy production, primarily due to the increased responsiveness to fertilizer application.

Housework Reallocation between Genders and Generations during China’s COVID-19 Lockdowns: Patterns &amp; Reasons

This paper examines housework reallocation during China’s stringent pandemic lockdowns in 2020, where individuals were homebound and job-free while employment status remained unchanged. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, it analyzes 1669 surveys and 100 interviews to understand changes in domestic labor patterns and the underlying reasons. The findings indicate that men increased their participation in grocery shopping but decreased in cooking, cleaning, and laundry during the lockdown. This gender-task pattern was mirrored in multi-generational households, where younger family members often took on these tasks. The reasons articulated for these shifts predominantly converged around the ‘doing gender’ theory. Women, particularly those working full-time, had more time to engage in household chores. Men, while also having more available time, predominantly focused on grocery shopping, a task that gained masculine connotations during the lockdown. Factors such as perceived differences in household labor quality, difficulty delegating housework, and reduced workload led to women’s increased involvement and specialization in domestic tasks. The study challenges the notion that economic factors are the primary drivers of gender-based division of housework. Instead, it suggests that ingrained gender norms continue to dictate domestic roles, as evidenced during the lockdown period devoid of usual economic and time pressures.

The Formation of Rural’s Labor Migration in Rural-Coastal of Aceh, Indonesia: Do Land-Factor or Other Household Characteristics Matters

As in other Indonesian provinces, Aceh is also experiencing demographic changes due to migration patterns. However, the migration rate in Aceh is not much significant in number compared to other provinces in Indonesia. As shown in the findings of this study. In the post-conflict and post-tsunami period, migration patterns in Aceh more influenced by economic factors. Moreover, the agricultural sector that dominates the structure of the regional GDP of Aceh unfortunately tends to decline every year in percentage and not so promising for rural household income and prompted the agricultural labour force to move to the non-agricultural sector and induces rural-urban migration. The study aims to assess the effects of land factors (agriculture) on individual migration decisions in households in four coastal villages in Bireuen district of Aceh. The research approach is the theory of economic migration. The method of analysis used in this study is statistically-descriptive and multiple linear regression analysis, to assess whether land ownership has a significant impact on the labour’s migration behaviour. In the findings of study, we found the relationship of land factor to migration pattern are both induce the “cost of opportunity” and the “hinder factor”. While land ownership does not significantly affect the likelihood of migration, other factors do. These include age, household size, composition of the household labour force, and poverty levels. This study are expected to cover the gaps in the literature on the migration and rural development studies in both Aceh and Indonesia.

Comparing health service usage of migrant groups in Australia: Evidence from the household income and labour dynamics survey of Australia

PurposeWe explored differences in primary and secondary health care usage across migrants from different regions in Australia. Design/methodology/approachData comes from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics of Australia survey from waves 9, 13, and 17 (2009, 2013, and 2017). Zero inflated Poisson regressions and non-linear decompositions were estimated. FindingsYounger women from South Asia, Latin America and Eastern and Southern Europe and younger men from Eastern and Southern Europe had lower rates of GP visits compared to the host population. Older African men have higher rates of nights in hospital and younger Eastern and Southern European women, older women from the Rest of Asia, and younger African men and women have lower rates of nights in hospital compared to the host population OriginalityThis is the first paper to investigate differences in primary and service usage amongst immigrants across the life course. Our results have important implications for planning of health service resources. Practical implicationsMigrants are a heterogenous group and health policy needs to consider these differences to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of service provision.