Discussing retirement:insights from a qualitative research project

This paper describes a qualitative research project of thirty interviews with women in Western Australia and summarises the outcomes generated from subsequent data analysis. Three key areas of interest are discussed that add to the existing body of economic research on women's savings. Firstly, the project's conclusions emphasise women's own definitions of savings, their perceptions about their skill in making financial decisions and their ideas about risk and seeking financial advice. Secondly, the project contributes to a greater appreciation of the links between women's decisionmaking contexts, processes and outcomes and the ways these affect their future access to economic resources. Thirdly, the research method played an important role in identifying potentially relevant literatures that had not yet been applied to studies of women's savings. It is concluded that relatively small programs of qualitative research can generate valuable insights into economic research agendas

Women's savings and retirement incomes policy: Adding qualitative methods to an economic research program?

Existing economic research on women's savings and retirement incomes has generated a number of insights but has generally applied a limited number of research methods. Among feminist economists others within heterodox schools of economics, there has been a growing recognition of the benefits that might result from using a diverse range of research methods in order to contribute insights and perspectives neglected by traditional approaches to economic research. This paper outlines briefly the theoretical approaches and insights generated by previous research on women's savings. It describes the methods applied and the outcomes generated from that research. It then contrasts previous findings with the outcomes of a recent qualitative research project conducted in Western Australia.It is argued that two main advantages were gained by adding insights from qualitative research to the existing body of economic research on women's savings. The first was a greater appreciation of the links between women's decision-making contexts, processes and outcomes that bear upon their future access to economic resources. The second was the capacity to link a broader theoretical economic literature to the issue of women's savings. This second aspect provides considerable scope for extending the range of methods and insights that applied economic research can add to this issue

Profiling gender differentials in asset and debt portfolios in Australia

This paper investigates gender differentials in asset and debt portfolios in Australia using the 2006 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. The explorations described in this paper indicate that there are gendered dimensions to both the value and composition of asset and debt holdings in Australia. If we compare couple households with single men and women households then we find that women have both lower asset holdings and portfolios that are relatively overweighted in the primary home. In some respects single men households have portfolios that more closely resemble those of couple households than single women’s portfolios. This is particularly the case with the lower proportion of single men’s portfolios held in their primary home and their holding of accumulated superannuation wealth. To the extent that data reveal insights into gendered patterns of intrahousehold asset holdings, women’s holdings of solely owned assets are lower then men’s in all age groups and across all types of assets for which data are available. This pattern is particularly evident in de facto opposite sex couple households

Minimum wage estimates and adjustments in Australia since 1983

This document provides estimates of national minimum wage rates for Australia since 1983. Providing estimates is not always a straight forward matter. We have provided a brief account of each wage decision providing: an estimated weekly minimum wage; an estimated hourly minimum wage based on the relevant standard working week; the relevant dollar increase; and the relevant percentage increase. We have also provided a summary of relevant events and submission from each decision in an endeavour to provide some of the social and political context for each decision

Plain old disrespect: Explorations of recognition and motivation in care work

Existing mainstream economic models for investigating care work have generated limited insights. In contrast, theory developed outside of mainstream economics, particularly theory that utilises feminist insights, appears contextually relevant to care work but is in a relatively early stage of development for application to empirical analysis. This paper considers appropriate models of care work situations, especially the motives for the performance of care work and the specific role played by ‘recognition’. We outline the experiences and perceptions of mature age Australian women who participated in a small exploratory study. We also report data derived from a subsequent survey of almost 4000 Australian aged care workers. We identify recognition as a factor that, thus far, has not been explicitly considered in the economics literature on the motivation for care work but which has the potential to inform strategies aimed at improving outcomes for care workers and care recipients

Measuring the Paid Off-Farmwork Contributions of Women in Australian Agricultural and Rural Communities

The invaluable social and economic contribution that women collectively make is often undervalued and underestimated. This paper attempts to address this to some extent, by providing a contemporary assessment of women’s contribution to paidoff farm work in rural and agricultural communities in Australia. As part of the analysis, women’s contributions to paidoff farm work activities are examined. Measures of the contribution of women in terms of their contribution to paidoff farm work are calculated using values derived from specially constructed models. A brief literature review of relevant research concerning the determinants of women’s contribution to paid off farm work in the agricultural and rural communities is also incorporated. The findings presented are thus largely based on current research, with one of the main goals of the exercise being to provide more complete information regarding the contribution of women to agricultural and rural communities, to improve future policy development and implementation in relevant areas

Relational aspects of decisions to sell

Mental accounting has been identified as an important source of non-fungibility in household and individual decision making. Ostensibly uniform assets, including cash, are perceived differently according to their originating source. In this study we examine assumptions of fungibility by using scenarios within a factorial survey to compare the effects of four specific factors on individuals’ willingness to trade a specified possession that varies according to its relational source, dollar value, uniqueness and the potential buyer's identity. Two measures of willingness to trade are used; a composite distress measure and the minimum price that the participant is willing to accept in exchange for the possession. In addition, data are analyzed to explore relationships between willingness to sell, the four defined characteristics of the possession and participant's characteristics including age, gender, education and income. The possession's source and the buyer's identity dominate effects over the possession's value and uniqueness. The strength of the effects varies significantly depending on how distress is measured and between identifiable population groups

Moral rights and wrongs of research funding

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of being vigilant in the implications of all indicators of research output, quality and impact that are used in research assessment exercises