IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/transp/v41y2014i2p251-278.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The backward-bending commute times of married women with household responsibility

Author

Listed:
  • Shinichiro Iwata
  • Keiko Tamada

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine theoretically and empirically whether the commute times of married women follow a backward-bending pattern with respect to wage rates. The existing literature has shown that married women tend to choose short commutes because of their relatively low wages combined with comparatively heavy household responsibilities. However, a work–leisure model, which includes the simultaneous decision wives take regarding commute times and wage rates, suggests that married women employed in highly paid positions also undertake short commutes, while married women with wage rates in the middle range choose long commutes. These results suggest that the commute times of married women display a backward-bending pattern. Applying an instrumental variable strategy that accounts for the endogeneity of wage rates, the empirical results for employed married women in Japan appear to support this finding. Moreover, one of our results suggests that highly paid married women can still secure greater leisure time with short commutes, despite retaining a heavy load of domestic responsibilities. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Shinichiro Iwata & Keiko Tamada, 2014. "The backward-bending commute times of married women with household responsibility," Transportation, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 251-278, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:transp:v:41:y:2014:i:2:p:251-278
    DOI: 10.1007/s11116-013-9458-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11116-013-9458-5
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11116-013-9458-5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Meliyanni Johar & Shiko Maruyama & Sayaka Nakamura, 2010. "Transition to Parent-Child Coresidence: Parental Needs and the Strategic Bequest Motive," Discussion Papers 2010-05, School of Economics, The University of New South Wales.
    2. Lothlorien Redmond & Patricia Mokhtarian, 2001. "The positive utility of the commute: modeling ideal commute time and relative desired commute amount," Transportation, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 179-205, May.
    3. James Feyrer & Bruce Sacerdote & Ariel Dora Stern, 2008. "Will the Stork Return to Europe and Japan? Understanding Fertility within Developed Nations," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 22(3), pages 3-22, Summer.
    4. Sivaramakrishnan Srinivasan & Chandra Bhat, 2005. "Modeling household interactions in daily in-home and out-of-home maintenance activity participation," Transportation, Springer, vol. 32(5), pages 523-544, September.
    5. Gronau, Reuben, 1977. "Leisure, Home Production, and Work-The Theory of the Allocation of Time Revisited," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 85(6), pages 1099-1123, December.
    6. Sandow, Erika & Westin, Kerstin, 2010. "The persevering commuter - Duration of long-distance commuting," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 44(6), pages 433-445, July.
    7. Eric J. Solberg & David C. Wong, 1992. "Family Time Use: Leisure, Home Production, Market Work, and Work Related Travel," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 27(3), pages 485-510.
    8. P.W. Daniels, 1977. "Office Location in the British Conurbations: Trends and Strategies," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 14(3), pages 261-274, October.
    9. Prashker, Joseph & Shiftan, Yoram & Hershkovitch-Sarusi, Pazit, 2008. "Residential choice location, gender and the commute trip to work in Tel Aviv," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 332-341.
    10. Junyi Zhang & Lili Xu & Akimasa Fujiwara, 2012. "Developing an integrated scobit-based activity participation and time allocation model to explore influence of childcare on women’s time use behaviour," Transportation, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 125-149, January.
    11. Roberts, Jennifer & Hodgson, Robert & Dolan, Paul, 2011. "“It's driving her mad”: Gender differences in the effects of commuting on psychological health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 1064-1076.
    12. Scott Fuess, 2012. "Leisure in Japan, 1986–2006: A Revival?," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 250-260, June.
    13. Plaut, Pnina O., 2006. "The intra-household choices regarding commuting and housing," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 40(7), pages 561-571, August.
    14. Zhang, Junyi & Timmermans, Harry J. P. & Borgers, Aloys, 2005. "A model of household task allocation and time use," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 81-95, January.
    15. Ken Yamada, 2006. "Intra-family transfers in Japan: intergenerational co-residence, distance, and contact," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(16), pages 1839-1861.
    16. Pazy, Asya & Salomon, Ilan & Pintzov, Tovi, 1996. "The impacts of women's careers on their commuting behavior: A case study of Israeli computer professionals," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 269-286, July.
    17. Bryant,W. Keith & Zick,Cathleen D., 2006. "The Economic Organization of the Household," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521801416.
    18. Ueda, Atsuko, 2005. "Intrafamily time allocation of housework: evidence from Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 1-23, March.
    19. White, Michelle J, 1986. "Sex Differences in Urban Commuting Patterns," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(2), pages 368-372, May.
    20. Bryant,W. Keith & Zick,Cathleen D., 2006. "The Economic Organization of the Household," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521805278.
    21. Freedman, Ora & Kern, Clifford R., 1997. "A model of workplace and residence choice in two-worker households," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 241-260, June.
    22. Bun Song Lee & John F. McDonald, 2003. "Determinants of Commuting Time and Distance for Seoul Residents: The Impact of Family Status on the Commuting of Women," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 40(7), pages 1283-1302, June.
    23. Zhang, Junyi & Kuwano, Masashi & Lee, Backjin & Fujiwara, Akimasa, 2009. "Modeling household discrete choice behavior incorporating heterogeneous group decision-making mechanisms," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 230-250, February.
    24. Șerban Georgescu, 2012. "Japan," Conjunctura economiei mondiale / World Economic Studies, Institute for World Economy, Romanian Academy.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Giménez-Nadal, José Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto & Velilla, Jorge, 2021. "Two-way commuting: Asymmetries from time use surveys," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    2. Tabuchi, Takatoshi, 2023. "Backward-bending labor supply and urban location," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    3. Coutts, Steven & Aird, Bria & Mitra, Raktim & Siemiatycki, Matti, 2018. "Does commute influence post-secondary Students' social capital? A study of campus participation at four universities in Toronto, Canada," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 172-181.
    4. Tabuchi, Takatoshi, 2022. "Backward-bending Labor Supply and Urban Location," MPRA Paper 114810, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Soyoung Kim, 2022. "Commuting Time Patterns of Dual-Earner Couples in Korea," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 105-123, May.
    6. José M. Casado-Díaz & Raquel Simón-Albert & Hipólito Simón, 2023. "Gender Differences in Commuting: New Evidence from Spain," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 169(3), pages 907-941, October.
    7. Caetano, Carolina & Rothe, Christoph & Yıldız, Neşe, 2016. "A discontinuity test for identification in triangular nonseparable models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 193(1), pages 113-122.
    8. Olivieri, Cecilia & Fageda, Xavier, 2021. "Urban mobility with a focus on gender: The case of a middle-income Latin American city," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    9. Gil Solá, Ana, 2016. "Constructing work travel inequalities: The role of household gender contracts," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 32-40.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Soyoung Kim, 2022. "Commuting Time Patterns of Dual-Earner Couples in Korea," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 105-123, May.
    2. Shinichiro Iwata & Keiko Tamada, 2008. "The Backward-bending Commute times of Married Women with Household Responsibility," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-582, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    3. Jennifer Roberts & Karl Taylor, 2017. "Intra-household commuting choices and local labour markets," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 69(3), pages 734-757.
    4. Jara-Díaz, Sergio & Rosales-Salas, Jorge, 2017. "Beyond transport time: A review of time use modeling," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 209-230.
    5. Diana Mok, 2007. "Do Two-earner Households Base Their Choice of Residential Location on Both Incomes?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 44(4), pages 723-750, April.
    6. Lorenz, Olga, 2018. "Does commuting matter to subjective well-being?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 180-199.
    7. Yingling Fan, 2017. "Household structure and gender differences in travel time: spouse/partner presence, parenthood, and breadwinner status," Transportation, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 271-291, March.
    8. Hu, Yang & van Wee, Bert & Ettema, Dick, 2023. "Intra-household decisions and the impact of the built environment on activity-travel behavior: A review of the literature," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    9. Olga Lorenz, 2017. "Does Commuting Matter to Subjective Well-Being?," IAAEU Discussion Papers 201707, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    10. Sheng, Lu & Wu, Xiao & He, Yan, 2023. "Impact of residential relocation on activity-travel behaviors between household couples: A case study of Kunming, China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    11. XXX, Shuya & Iwata, Shinichiro, 2012. "Fertility and the user cost of home ownership: Evidence from regional panel data," MPRA Paper 37387, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Carta, Francesca & De Philippis, Marta, 2018. "You've come a long way, baby. Husbands' commuting time and family labour supply," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 25-37.
    13. Jacob, Nikita & Munford, Luke & Rice, Nigel & Roberts, Jennifer, 2019. "The disutility of commuting? The effect of gender and local labor markets," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 264-275.
    14. André de Palma & Nathalie Picard & Ignacio Inoa, 2014. "Discrete choice decision-making with multiple decision-makers within the household," Chapters, in: Stephane Hess & Andrew Daly (ed.), Handbook of Choice Modelling, chapter 16, pages 363-382, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    15. Wheatley, Daniel, 2014. "Travel-to-work and subjective well-being: A study of UK dual career households," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 187-196.
    16. Huai, Yue & Lo, Hong K. & Ng, Ka Fai, 2021. "Monocentric versus polycentric urban structure: Case study in Hong Kong," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 99-118.
    17. de Graaff, Thomas & Rietveld, Piet, 2007. "Substitution between working at home and out-of-home: The role of ICT and commuting costs," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 142-160, February.
    18. Isabelle Wachter & Christian Holz-Rau, 2022. "Gender differences in work-related high mobility differentiated by partnership and parenthood status," Transportation, Springer, vol. 49(6), pages 1737-1764, December.
    19. Kawabata, Mizuki & Abe, Yukiko, 2018. "Intra-metropolitan spatial patterns of female labor force participation and commute times in Tokyo," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 291-303.
    20. Erika Sandow, 2014. "Til Work Do Us Part: The Social Fallacy of Long-distance Commuting," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 51(3), pages 526-543, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:transp:v:41:y:2014:i:2:p:251-278. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.