![Sample our Social Sciences journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/110822/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Social-Sciences.jpg"})
Abstract
The term “unpaid market labor” refers to the direct contributions of unpaid family members to market work that officially belongs to another member of the household. Thus one individual may be construed legally as an owner or entrepreneur, but relatives may help out informally with business operations. Likewise, in corporate or public-service settings, certain employees rely on the unpaid help of an executive spouse or political wife. This paper argues that unpaid market labor is conceptually distinct from both paid work and unpaid domestic labor. Legal cases from Canada are used to illustrate the policy implications of this insight and how dichotomous thinking about the market and the family obscures this kind of work. The article discusses insights and challenges for feminist political economy in theorizing unpaid market labor.
Acknowledgments
The author expresses deep thanks to Jennifer Johnson for superb and timely research assistance as well as many inspiring conversations and insightful comments during the preparation of this paper. The paper has benefited greatly from the suggestions of anonymous reviewers and comments of Janeen Baxter, Kim Brooks, Barbara Cameron, Shelley Gavigan, Freya Kodar, Myra Lefkowitz, Meg Luxton, Rod Macdonald, Richard Moon, Mariana Valverde, Leah Vosko, Toni Williams, and students attending the Winter 2004 Osgoode Feminist Discussion Forum. The author gratefully acknowledges the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for this research project, and thanks Osgoode Hall Law School for granting her an Osgoode Research Fellowship during the fall term of 2004. Comments are welcome and can be sent to the author.
Notes
While the Court cited this definition from the Partnership Act of Manitoba, the definition is very similar in other provinces including Ontario where the Wessells carried on business.