This paper focuses on the concept of "politicization of household labor" to the resolution of housework-related problems which are the products of household work and the womens status. The "politicization of household labor" is derived from its statem...
This paper focuses on the concept of "politicization of household labor" to the resolution of housework-related problems which are the products of household work and the womens status. The "politicization of household labor" is derived from its statement the private is political. This idea is dependent that the policy has priority over change of the social ideology. Reluctantly, the state is beginning to touch these problems. State interference in family relations is not new.
The proposals of existing solution are the socialization of household labor, the fair distribution of labor, the development of evaluating method. But, These proposals was proposed by only a few scholars, and they adopted selectly the housework-related problems. A political need contains these all strive. It shows the orderly stage from the distribution of labor between family members(lowest) to the public socialization of household labor(highest). So, a political need on housework means the political will to actualize by the political process.
This study is based on the literature review about the concept of household labor, politicization of household labor, and public policy. Also, it is investigated a judical precedent and a statistical report to understanding the realities of valuing womens work. The public policy would assume the System of National Accounts(SNA) and the lawful form as like the Family Rights Law, Tax Law, and Social Security Act.
Thus, this paper explored the public issue on household work, analyzed the policy and the law associated household work, and developed the theorical model for its political program. For this purpose, this political framework developes from a general policy fomulation as process, and contains factors as like policy needs, policy means, policy matters, and policy purposes(figure 1).
The major discussions of this framework can be summarized as follow :
First, the policy problems of household labor is that the segregation of market labor and household labor, public and private sphere, and sex-role affects value of household labor and status of women. These problems is derived from the polar thought.
Second, policy proposals on household labor is related to specific existing policy. On the range, a political issue of household labor would be bound by family policy and womens policy. But, two policy is differ on the policy problems and the policy purposes. Ultimataly, These dont direct the settlement of problems about household labor. Policy of resolving the housework-related problems differentiate from existing policy.
Third, the policy means includes policy institutes that take whole chage of housework-related problems, policy funds that supply to household work. These is applied to existing institutes and a budget. The change of consciousness a member of National Assembly, a government official, and a lawyer is decisive of the solution of the problems. To educate, it is need to the curriculum and a textbook in University. Also, it should be proposed to a program of reeducation for policy maker and the general public.
Forth, we should take the following measures. These are policy matters.
- develop satellite or other official accounts to measure unpaid work outside national accounts
- conduct a nation-wide time-use survey to measure the household labor, and develop a proper classification of activities for time-use statistics
- determine the best method for the imputation of an economic value for womens household labor, and adapt this economic method to a law and a policy.
Fifth, Policy purposes are family welfare and women welfare, a symmetry of family and work. Thus, policy needs takes concrete shape an policy indicator of evaluing and and policy indicator of supporting. Ultimately, it is direct to evaluate more exactly household labor, to improve womens status, and to evaluate the quality of family living.