Tyranny of the Household: Investigative Essays on Women's Work

by Nirmala Banerjee, Devaki Jain (Editor)

Genres: Gender

272 pages, Hardcover

Reviews

[Hosna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a collection of essays on women's work where many economists discuss various forms of gender inequality within the household, as well as other labor market factors that contribute to these inequalities. Women's celebrated role as the 'nurturing mother' undermines her autonomy; hierarchies in the traditional family make it impossible to promote equality between the sexes. These essays question the mainstream economic assumption of family as a homogenous unit that is run by an altruistic male head, who is ironically selfish in the market! Women's imprisonments in these tyrannical families all around the world are well explored by the contributors. However, none of authors seem to question the very basis of the economic assumptions of the Becker model; neither do they question the existing social structures.