Women and Economics, from Who's Counting: Ma
HS1002A – Social Determinants of Health Guiding Questions for Who’s Counting: Women and Economics, from Who’s Counting: Marilyn Waring on Sex, Lies and Global Economics, National Film Board of Canada, 1995 WoTerms: United Nations System of National Accounts - an international standard system of national accounts, the aim of which is to provide a national profile of economic activity and to enable international comparisons of all significant economic activity.
Subsistence Production/Agriculture – self-sufficient farming in which farmers focus on growing enough food to feed themselves and their families
What are main points/arguments made by Waring? - Household work that women do (including producing and raising children) are invisible (they are not recorded or recognized by the government, women are not paid for essentially being "house wives"). - System is designed to only recognize money. There is no venue to unpaid work. - Work of non – primary producers who are bearing and raising children –> most work women do are of little or no importance in society. Why is women’s invisibility in macro-economic systems a problem for Waring? If you are invisible (as some women are) you would be invisible when it came to the redistribution of benefits ("a system cannot respond to values to which it does not recognize"). What are “time use surveys”? Why are these tools important for policymakers, according to Waring? - They were conducted in Pakistan (first study) and they compare the use of time between men and women. Women spend most of their time cooking and these surveys make the work that women do visible. Warning also spent time (approximately a day) with women from various backgrounds and observed their daily tasks and recorded her findings. - Technology changes need to occur in many places (especially villages) so that women can have access to stoves and water pumps. This is essential to allow them to save more time that could be spent doing other things. - It was noted that men have more leisure time and time for more personal activities.
Compare and contrast the examples of “Cathy” and “Ben”? Why are these cases used in the film? - Cathy- young middle class house wife. Typical Day – cook, raise kids, shovel snow, vacuum, prep food, wash dishes ect. She is considered economically inactive and the economists say that she is unoccupied. - Ben- highly trained member of US military. He waits underground for hours with a college to fire a nuclear missile. He is considered economically active and his work had value (he is being paid). - Waring is trying to demonstrate that Ben pushes buttons and Cathy does actually physical work but is not seen as important in society. The women’s work is called “leisure time” while the men are the ones sitting around. By highlighting Ben’s work the film worker is drawing attention to this type of work (Ben) that destruct life while women are creating life. What alternatives are suggested? What do you think about this? - Time news surveys should be Conducted in Canada and New Zealand - 2/3 of all primary health care takes place in the home, women are aiding their families. (In a perfect society women would be getting paid for their health care as do doctors).
Subsistence Production/Agriculture – self-sufficient farming in which farmers focus on growing enough food to feed themselves and their families
What are main points/arguments made by Waring? - Household work that women do (including producing and raising children) are invisible (they are not recorded or recognized by the government, women are not paid for essentially being "house wives"). - System is designed to only recognize money. There is no venue to unpaid work. - Work of non – primary producers who are bearing and raising children –> most work women do are of little or no importance in society. Why is women’s invisibility in macro-economic systems a problem for Waring? If you are invisible (as some women are) you would be invisible when it came to the redistribution of benefits ("a system cannot respond to values to which it does not recognize"). What are “time use surveys”? Why are these tools important for policymakers, according to Waring? - They were conducted in Pakistan (first study) and they compare the use of time between men and women. Women spend most of their time cooking and these surveys make the work that women do visible. Warning also spent time (approximately a day) with women from various backgrounds and observed their daily tasks and recorded her findings. - Technology changes need to occur in many places (especially villages) so that women can have access to stoves and water pumps. This is essential to allow them to save more time that could be spent doing other things. - It was noted that men have more leisure time and time for more personal activities.
Compare and contrast the examples of “Cathy” and “Ben”? Why are these cases used in the film? - Cathy- young middle class house wife. Typical Day – cook, raise kids, shovel snow, vacuum, prep food, wash dishes ect. She is considered economically inactive and the economists say that she is unoccupied. - Ben- highly trained member of US military. He waits underground for hours with a college to fire a nuclear missile. He is considered economically active and his work had value (he is being paid). - Waring is trying to demonstrate that Ben pushes buttons and Cathy does actually physical work but is not seen as important in society. The women’s work is called “leisure time” while the men are the ones sitting around. By highlighting Ben’s work the film worker is drawing attention to this type of work (Ben) that destruct life while women are creating life. What alternatives are suggested? What do you think about this? - Time news surveys should be Conducted in Canada and New Zealand - 2/3 of all primary health care takes place in the home, women are aiding their families. (In a perfect society women would be getting paid for their health care as do doctors).
