Preference theory
Encyclopedia
Preference theory is a multidisciplinary (mainly sociological
) theory developed by Catherine Hakim
. It seeks both to explain and predict women's choices regarding investment in productive or reproductive contributions to society.
The theory sets out five socio-economic conditions which it posits jointly create a new scenario for women:
The theory posits that women fall into three main groups: women who prefer a work-centred lifestyle and often remain childless by choice (about 20%); women who prefer a home-centred lifestyle, often have many children and little paid work (about 20%); and the remaining majority of women who can be labelled adaptive, who seek to combine paid work with family life and raising children. Catherine Hakim carried out two national surveys, in Britain
and Spain
, to test the theory, and showed that questions eliciting personal preferences can strongly predict women's employment decisions and fertility. In contrast, women's behaviour did not predict their attitudes, showing that lifestyle preferences are not post hoc rationalisations. This study also showed that other sex-role attitudes do not have the same impact on women's behaviour; notably, the patriarchal values measured by most social surveys, including the European Social Survey, have virtually no impact on women's personal choices and behaviour.
Hakim’s preference theory has attracted great interest in the literature, but also considerable criticism. The main criticism being that it does not demonstrate causality
, that the observed preferences causes changes in fertility patterns, and that it has been suggested that actual fertility may change values and preferences. It has also been suggested that the observed effect of lifestyle preferences on
achieved fertility may absorbed by other factors when controlled for. A follow up study "found that Hakim’s typology does not work well in the Czech Republic
", that there were no important differences in fertility between the three groups in that country. A second follow up study, surveying eleven European countries, found support for the theory in only two countries (Britain and Denmark
).
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
) theory developed by Catherine Hakim
Catherine Hakim
Catherine Hakim is a British sociologist and former civil servant. She is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Policy Studies. Her research is focused on labour market topics, women's issues and research methods. She is known for developing the preference theory and criticism of...
. It seeks both to explain and predict women's choices regarding investment in productive or reproductive contributions to society.
The theory sets out five socio-economic conditions which it posits jointly create a new scenario for women:
- The contraceptive revolution gives women reliable control over their own fertility for the first time in history.
- The equal opportunities revolution gives women genuine access to all positions and occupations for the first time in history
- The expansion of white-collar occupations, which are more attractive to women.
- The creation of jobs for secondary earners, such as part-time jobs, working at home, teleworking, and annual hours contracts.
- The increasing importance of attitudes and values in affluent modern societies, which gives everyone the freedom to choose their lifestyle.
The theory posits that women fall into three main groups: women who prefer a work-centred lifestyle and often remain childless by choice (about 20%); women who prefer a home-centred lifestyle, often have many children and little paid work (about 20%); and the remaining majority of women who can be labelled adaptive, who seek to combine paid work with family life and raising children. Catherine Hakim carried out two national surveys, in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, to test the theory, and showed that questions eliciting personal preferences can strongly predict women's employment decisions and fertility. In contrast, women's behaviour did not predict their attitudes, showing that lifestyle preferences are not post hoc rationalisations. This study also showed that other sex-role attitudes do not have the same impact on women's behaviour; notably, the patriarchal values measured by most social surveys, including the European Social Survey, have virtually no impact on women's personal choices and behaviour.
Hakim’s preference theory has attracted great interest in the literature, but also considerable criticism. The main criticism being that it does not demonstrate causality
Causality
Causality is the relationship between an event and a second event , where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first....
, that the observed preferences causes changes in fertility patterns, and that it has been suggested that actual fertility may change values and preferences. It has also been suggested that the observed effect of lifestyle preferences on
achieved fertility may absorbed by other factors when controlled for. A follow up study "found that Hakim’s typology does not work well in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
", that there were no important differences in fertility between the three groups in that country. A second follow up study, surveying eleven European countries, found support for the theory in only two countries (Britain and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
).
See also
- Decision theoryDecision theoryDecision theory in economics, psychology, philosophy, mathematics, and statistics is concerned with identifying the values, uncertainties and other issues relevant in a given decision, its rationality, and the resulting optimal decision...
- Liquidity preferenceLiquidity preferenceIn macroeconomic theory, Liquidity preference refers to the demand for money, considered as liquidity. The concept was first developed by John Maynard Keynes in his book The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money to explain determination of the interest rate by the supply and demand...
- Revealed preferenceRevealed preferenceRevealed preference theory, pioneered by American economist Paul Samuelson, is a method by which it is possible to discern the best possible option on the basis of consumer behavior. Essentially, this means that the preferences of consumers can be revealed by their purchasing habits...
- Time preferenceTime preferenceIn economics, time preference pertains to how large a premium a consumer places on enjoyment nearer in time over more remote enjoyment....