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The impact of household labor-saving technologies along the family life cycle

Author

Listed:
  • Tsukada, Rachel

    (UNU-MERIT)

  • Dupuy, Arnaud

    (University of Luxembourg)

Abstract

This paper investigates heterogeneity of the impact of labor-saving technologies on household time use across stages of the family life cycle. Using the Ghana Living Standards Survey 5, we assess the impact of two treatments - piped water and borehole water supply technologies. Results confirm the hypothesis that technology is more useful for relaxing the time constraint in households with children. The effect is stronger the more labor-saving is the technology. In households with young children (0 to 6 years old), however, the technologies show no significant effect. Parents in that stage of the family life cycle are in such an extreme time constraint that the relatively small amount of time saved with the water supply technology is not enough to significantly release their burden.

Suggested Citation

  • Tsukada, Rachel & Dupuy, Arnaud, 2016. "The impact of household labor-saving technologies along the family life cycle," MERIT Working Papers 2016-047, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    • Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2016047
    as

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    File URL: https://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/wppdf/2016/wp2016-047.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    labor-saving technology; technological change; household production; family life cycle;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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