27/08/13
The link above goes to the
economic paper "The Opt-in Revolution" which analysis the role
of the Pill in changing women's human capital investments and it's effects on
their incomes throughout their lives.
Findings:
- Women’s incomes as a proportion of the male wage rose fastest from 1979 – 1989 in sharp contrast to relative pay stability in the 1970s and slower convergence in the 1990s and 2000s.
- The slowness of growth in the 1970s coincides with the period during which the first generation with ready access to the pill invested in human capital (a university education) and the convergence in the 1980s occurred as the benefits of that education were realised in better paid jobs in the professions.
- Their analysis suggests that the pill accounted for roughly one third of the catch up in wages and finds that women who took oral contraceptives earned 8% more on average than those who did not, by the time they were 50.
- The other two thirds of the catch up are attributed to increasing experience in the labour market (as a function of delaying children and having fewer children) and greater educational attainment.
This source was really useful in analysing the impact of sustained employment and professional qualifications on material acquisition. I was really interested about the term "human capital" and how women were increasing their 'worth.' Economics papers are often really good for research as they provide statistical information that can be adapted for my purpose as well as investigation socio-economic effects which are very useful when determining an expansion in 'choice.' Bailey et al. are well known scholars in the US.
