ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that the nature of the rebellion was linked to the dual gains which women found through labor market participation - higher marital power and higher living standards. Women were pushed by the increasing efficiency of their factors of production within the home. Capitalist markets have developed consumerism and had the unintended effect of helping to liberate women. Some women were forced to engage in market work merely to survive in urban areas. Other women could stay home while their husbands earned a family wage. The supremacy of the values of consumerism over patriarchal homemaking can be seen in the disproportionate share of expenses devoted to areas outside of homemaking. Although author have focused on the influence of consumerism within married couples, the analysis has been incomplete. Through this, author demonstrates how the gendered expectations of consumerism became motivating factors for women to join the workforce, resulting in higher standards of living and greater marital power.
