Resources and Decision Making in Households

• Barrett and McIntosh - men gain from women’s domestic work more than they give in financial support. Financial support was unpredictable and came with 'strings' attached. Men make decisions about spending on important items. 
• Kempson - in low income families women denied own needs e.g. not going out, eating less, not eating in order to make ends meet. 

Money Management

• Feminists Pahl and Volger identify 2 types of control over income: the allowance system - where men give women an allowance from which they have to budget to meet family’s needs - any surplus goes back to male. Second is Pooling where both parents have access to income and joint responsibility for expenditure. 

Decision Making 

• Pooled income controlled by husband as men have more power in major financial decisions. Pahl and Volger found even where pooling men still made most important financial decisions.
• Hardill - important decisions made by man alone or jointly as his career took priority if looking for new job or house 
• Finch - observed women’s lives structured around husbands career 
• Edgell - found that among professional couples Very important decisions e.g. job change, house move made by husband or together -…