REVISITING ‘BARGAINING’ ? REFLECTIONS ON FEMINIST EXTENSIONS OF SEN’S HOUSEHOLD BARGAINING MODEL: CASE STUDIES OF GENDERED LABOUR REGIME

This paper examines three positions in relation to women’s outside earning and household bargaining as claimed by Sen (1990). Applying feminist extensions of Sen’s notions of household in cases of gendered labor regime, this paper argues that household bargains are not only a matter of intra household relations; rather, embedded in institutionalised forms of gendered relations. The paper draws out the nature of these gendered relations conferring issues of power, agency and entitlements. It unpacks the fact that as long as power disparity operates, outside earning alone can do little to improve women’s household bargaining. Consequently, the paper concludes with an urge for additional researches, that can contribute to unpack the whole set of power dynamics that operate inside household.