Time poverty and the poverty of economics

Abstract

In this paper I take up one particular aspect of deprivation that is often ignored or given less significance in discussions relating to poverty and inequality: that of time poverty. I will argue that ignoring this important dimension of poverty results from a related and possibly more substantive deficiency: the inadequate conception of what constitutes work that underlies much of our empirical data collection and our policies and programmes. This in turn has many adverse implications in terms of gender differences in recognised and unrecognised work as well as the health and productivity of the workers themselves. Ignoring this critical issue of time poverty generates misconceived policy formulation that can even worsen the well-being of those that the policies are intended to benefit.