Women’s work and changes in the Brazilian family (1984-1996): exploring relationships

Abstract

In this paper I have sought to investigate the mutual relationships between the increase in the number of women holding down jobs, and changes in Brazilian family arrangements, controlling the differences by social class. Although the literature associates paid women’s work to an increase in their autonomy in society (empowerment), and especially to changes in family relationships, the interplay between the growth of women’s participation in the economy and the modifications in their status as members of the family have not been entirely elucidated. The most realistic hypothesis is that the work exercised by women simultaneously impels and is impelled by changes taking place in the family. Although no appropriate longitudinal data is available to answer this question, we tentatively used four sources of data for this study: two Brazilian Annual National Sample Household Surveys (Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios – PNAD/IBGE, 1984 and 1996), one special study on living standards, carried out in 1996 (Pesquisa sobre Padrão de Vida – PPV/IBGE), and data from the Demographic Health Survey (Pesquisa Nacional sobre Demografia e Saúde – PNDS/Bemfam), carried out in 1996. Our analysis focuses on the relationships among family events (unions, separations, the birth of children, and contraception) and women’s insertion into the labor market.