Intra-household interaction in a nuclear family: A utility-maximizing approach

Hironori Kato and Manabu Matsumoto

Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 2009, vol. 43, issue 2, 191-203

Abstract: This paper investigates the joint resource allocation of households using a utility-maximizing model. The joint time allocation model is formulated, from which a nonlinear Tobit model is derived. The model parameters are estimated using empirical data collected through household time allocation surveys held in 2003 in Tokyo and Toyama, Japan. Four models - a weekday model and a weekend day model for Tokyo and Toyama each - are estimated. The empirical analysis reveals the common characteristics between the two cities - with respect to the child's gender; the husband's weekly non-working days, allowance, and job; and the wife's age and job - that significantly influence the household's welfare. The empirical analysis also reveals different characteristics between the two cities. First, the greater the number of children in a household, the higher is the significance of the husband and wife's joint out-of-home leisure activity on a weekday for household welfare in Tokyo, and the lower is the same in Toyama. Second, the greater the non-working days of the husbands, the lower is the significance of their individual out-of-home leisure activities on a weekday for household welfare in Tokyo and the higher is the same in Toyama. These characteristics may reflect the local's attitudes in intra-household interaction.

Keywords: Intra-household; interaction; Utility-maximizing; model; Nuclear; family (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (29)

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