The Workings of the Household: A US-UK Comparison

This book examines the organization of domestic life in the context of recent economic change. Lydia Morris argues that relationships within the household can only be understood with reference to the social and economic environment in which it is located. Through an analysis of economic changes in post-war Britain and the United States, the author examines the structure of labour markets, systems of welfare and local social networks. She charts the theoretical positions which have been developed with respect to the connection between the household and the labour market. Aspects of this link include male unemployment, the significance of female employment, the significance of role reversal, the organization of domestic labour, the management of household finance and the position of young people in the household. Finally, the author examines welfare provision and access to employment generally in order to assess their effects on the organization of the household. This highly original work offers a new approach to the study of the 'household', shedding new light on gender relations and the structure and processes of the labour market.