Household Work Strategies and Forms of Labour: Conceptual and Empirical Issues

This paper explores some theoretical and empirical issues concerning the different forms of work that people engage in in contemporary capitalist societies. The theoretical issues derive from four sources: Harding & Jenkins' argument that distinctions between the formal and the informal economy are unsustainable; Hilary Silver's critique of Gershuny's self-service economy thesis; debates about an adequate definition of `work'; and the debate about the usefulness of the concept of household work strategy. The empirical aspect of the paper emanates from a replication of aspects of Pahl and Wallace's study of the Isle of Sheppey among households in the North West of England.The concept of household work strategy is defended as a way of understanding the ways in which forms of work are combined, endorsing a modified version of the methodological approaches of Gershuny and Pahl. However, exception is taken to certain of the interpretative themes and empirical trends identified by both authors. Evidence against Gershuny's self-service society thesis is provided, pointing to the merits of an Engel's Law interpretation based on the tendency for affluent, dual-earner households to purchase services on the market. The study of North West households, while confirming substantial parts of Pahl's empirical analysis, authorises different lines of interpretation.The argument overall is directed towards an understanding of the social relations governing different forms of work and the value of a theoretical approach to work based on several alternative ways of providing use-values.