ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the variation in the division of labor and income within the family in developing countries. It provides an illustrative case of how intrafamily division of labor and income are changing in response to economic reform in a village in China. The ability to get an education or find employment, for instance, exerts a strong influence on a woman's bargaining power within the family. The chapter utilizes the model of the family as cooperative-conflict and draws on the Chinese case and other studies from developing countries around the world to identify factors that influence the division of labor and income within households or families. Government policies, projects of international development agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGO) activities are all more likely to achieve their goals with fewer unexpected negative impacts on women and girls if those involved in the design and implementation of the programs keep in mind the dual aspects of families as cooperative-conflicts.
