Give and Take in Families: Studies in Resource Distribution

The book "Give and Take in Families" explores the distribution of material resources, such as money, work, care, and food, within and between households, focusing on gender relations and the impact of changes like divorce and unemployment on household structure and resources. It presents findings from nine empirical studies and has significant implications for social policy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 210 pages
Publication date: 09 August 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Originally published in 1987, this book has been updated with a new preface to focus on the distribution of material resources, particularly money, work, care, and food, within and between households. In the past, social policy research often treated households and families as a single unit, overlooking the role of women as resources in caring for others, providers of income, and transformers of income into goods and services. The contributors to Give and Take in Families challenge this assumption by examining the distribution of resources within the family unit.

A central theme of the book is gender relations, with each study striving to make women visible as resources in caring for others, providers of income, and transformers of income into goods and services. Nine empirical studies are presented, exploring resource distribution in relation to the composition of households and the life cycles and life experiences of household members. A wide range of household types is considered, including those undergoing changes such as divorce and unemployment, which have significant implications for household structure and resources.

The implications of these innovative and thought-provoking studies for social policy are substantial, covering areas such as inequality and income support, care for children and the elderly, the labor market, and divorce law. This book will continue to appeal to practicing researchers and students in the social sciences, particularly women's studies.

Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032530031