Intra-familial time allocation : a micro study in Bangladesh

Abstract

The subject of this study is the allocation of time by individuals to different activities. The objective is to help explain stabilisation and destabilisation in human fertility in terms of inter-generational and sex differentials in allocation of time. The production utility of children is measured by children's work contribution compared to that of adults. Time allocation issues are examined basically within two modes of production - familial and non-familial. It is found that with a transition in the mode of production from familial to non-familial the amount of children's time spent on work decreases. It is also found that education has an impact on reducing children's contributions, especially in the non-familial mode of production. The allocation of time for work among males, both children and adults, of rural landowning and urban traditional business families is similar. In families headed by day labourers male children contribute considerable amounts of time for work although less than in landowning and traditional business families, but the resources of most such families do not provide opportunities for more work. Children contributed least work in service workers' families. Sex segregation in activity is very great for all families except those of service workers. Parental time costs for child care are low for all the families, again excepting service workers' families. The study concludes that a transition in the mode of production initiates a change in the time allocation of household members. Education, as a concomitant of the transition in the mode of production, reduces the production utility of children, increases the parental time cost of child care and m.i n.i m.i ses sex segregation in the household division of labour. The findings suggest directions for further research on intra-familial goods distribution, especially food distribution, as a parallel allocation study. analysis to the intra-familial time. Show more