Gender Inequality in Production and Reproduction: A New Priority Research Network

This paper describes a new priority research network that has been funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council to study gender inequality in production and reproduction. A core aim of the network is to produce theoretically informed high quality empirical research that illuminates three interrelated aspects of gender inequality in production and reproduction, namely changes in the life course processes of men and women; resource allocation across different socioeconomic contexts; and policy responses. All three strands pay careful attention to how individual outcomes are influenced both by linked lives and the resource base and institutional circumstances in which lives are set. By paying attention to both dimensions the Network will provide a more robust understanding, than has been achieved to date, of the dynamics of gender inequalities. I briefly present some relevant findings about gender inequalities in Britain in order to highlight key research questions that are yet to be answered. I argue that progress in understanding the dynamics of gender inequalities in production and reproduction demands imaginative use of longitudinal data and innovative quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches. I suggest that one way to overcome existing disciplinary and methodological divides is to bring disparate research traditions to bear on the common goal to examine changing lives and structures – both how lives/structures are changing and how policy can intervene effectively to promote change towards greater equality. Background and Overview With the demise of the male breadwinner family, there has been something of a 'paradigm shift' in gender relations. But will this shift bring more or less equality? Major labour market change, particularly in respect of women, together with dramatic changes in parenting and partnership, and greater recognition of gender equality issues in the policy arena, have served to break apart the traditional gender-role division. The expectation on the part of UK and EU policy makers today is increasingly that women will be fully 'individualised' in the sense of economically autonomous, although policies are often ambiguous on this score. Social reality is more mixed; women are still disproportionately in part-time employment, and still do the bulk of unpaid care work.