| By: |
Marina Della Giusta (Department of Economics, University of Reading);
Nigar Hashimzade (Department of Economics, University of Reading);
Sarah Jewell (Department of Economics, University of Reading) |
| Abstract: |
We focus on the role of conformity with social norms and concern with relative
income in the decision to supply unpaid care for parents. Individuals have
different propensities to be influenced by both relative income and social
norms, and face a time constraint on the provision of both paid work (which
increases their income) and unpaid care. We estimate our model with a sample
drawn from the British Household Panel Survey to assess these effects
empirically, estimating both the supply of unpaid care and the effect on
utility of different preferences for relative income and unpaid care. We find
that providing care decreases individual utility: long care hours are bad for
carers (and care recipients). Women feature disproportionately amongst care
providers and their motivations for care provision differ to men's, both in
respect to the importance attached to relative income and to conformity with
social norms. After controlling for other factors, men are more envious than
women (attach more weight to relative income) and indi¤erent to social norms
in relation to caring, whereas the opposite holds for women, so status races
are bad for the supply of care within families and particularly men's supply.
This is an issue as caring (in right amounts) can be good for carers too if
they agree with caring norms, even when they prefer paid work to caring (as
men do). We discuss implications for care provision and working arrangements. |
| Keywords: |
care, unpaid work, social norms, relative income |
| JEL: |
J22 Z13 D01 D13 |
| Date: |
2011–07–05 |
| URL: |
http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rdg:emxxdp:em-dp2011-03&r=age |