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Engines of liberation

Author

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  • Greenwood,J.
  • Seshadri,A.
  • Yorukoglu,M.

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison, Social Systems Research Institute)

Abstract

Electricity was born at the dawn of the last century. Households were inundated with a flood of new consumer durables. What was the impact of this consumer durable goods revolution? It is argued here that the consumer goods revolution was conducive to liberating women from the home. To analyse this hypothesis, a Beckerian model of household production is developed. Households must decide whether or not to adopt the new technologies, and whether a married woman should work. Can such a model help to explain the rise in married female labour-force participation that occurred in the last century? Yes. Copyright 2005, Wiley-Blackwell.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Greenwood,J. & Seshadri,A. & Yorukoglu,M., 2002. "Engines of liberation," Working papers 1, Wisconsin Madison - Social Systems.
    • Handle: RePEc:att:wimass:20021
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    File URL: http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/econ/archive/wp2002-1.pdf
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    JEL classification:

    • E1 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • N1 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations

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