USING THE SERVICE ECONOMY TO RELIEVE THE DOUBLE BURDEN - FEMALE LABOR-FORCE PARTICIPATION AND SERVICE PURCHASES

Using a national survey conducted in 1990, this article examines how w ives' labor force participation affects the extent to which families u se the market economy to provide goods and services that have traditio nally been produced by women. The specific purchases examined are help with housecleaning, meals at restaurants, and meals delivered to the home. Findings are discussed within the context of hypotheses about th e roles of household resources, personal resources, gender ideologies, role overload, and the specific benefits that different family member s receive from the provision of each service.