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Child housework in urban Bangladesh: an exploration of intra‐household labour deployment
Author(s) -
Delap Emily
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of international development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.533
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1099-1328
pISSN - 0954-1748
DOI - 10.1002/1099-1328(200007)12:5<723::aid-jid705>3.0.co;2-k
Subject(s) - livelihood , slum , software deployment , rationality , relevance (law) , economics , utility maximization , household income , labour economics , economic growth , sociology , political science , geography , population , demography , archaeology , mathematical economics , computer science , law , agriculture , operating system
This article examines key debates on intra‐household labour deployment using evidence on children's housework in urban Bangladesh. It argues that theories that emphasize the economic rationality of household decision making are inadequate for explaining task allocation in Bangladeshi slum households. Cultural and social forces must be considered when seeking to explain household labour deployment. In urban Bangladesh, age and gender hierarchies are of particular relevance. Such evidence suggests that gaining community acceptance is sometimes prioritized over utility maximization in household livelihood strategies. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.