Will Wilkinson - Latest Comments in Why Isn’t Caplan in the Kitchen?

Re: Why Isn’t Caplan in the Kitchen?

Grant Gould — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 05:50:41 -0000

Comparative advantage is a good way to look at the problem. To translate 50/50 to "exactly half of every task" is a logical jump akin to the argument that trade causes inequality -- a complete blindness to the notion that bargaining and trade can improve everyone's lot.

I like to cook, and my wife loathes cooking. It is perfectly reasonable, then, for us to make the exchange that I do the cooking and she cleans up after. (This creates an incentive problem with respect to dirty dishes, of course, but the savvy married person will generally be able to handle it).

50/50 is, conceptually, the right place from which to start bargaining. This means that it will almost never be the right place to stop bargaining.

Re: Why Isn’t Caplan in the Kitchen?

GilM — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:29:15 -0000

On the other hand, there's nothing magically best about the 50/50 distribution. It smacks of dogmatic egalitarianism to me.

Couples should figure out what distribution works best for them (and it will probably change over time).

Re: Why Isn’t Caplan in the Kitchen?

Nicholas Weininger — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:02:40 -0000

Also, false dichotomy alert. Why does either of them have to specialize in cooking, cleaning, and shopping? Why couldn't they be better off both specializing in bringing home the bread, and using the resultant increased income to get takeout meals, hire a maid service, and pay delivery fees?

Re: Why Isn’t Caplan in the Kitchen?

MikeWebkist — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 20:10:08 -0000

As Heinlein said, "Specialization is for insects."

Any man who "can't clean, cook, or shop to save his life" has chosen to be an insect.