The feminine vocation and the economy.

AuthorAguirre, Maria Sophia

INTRODUCTION

In his apostolic letter Mulieris Dignitatem, Pope John Paul II dedicates chapter six to his meditation on "virginity and motherhood as two particular dimensions of the fulfillment of the female personality." (1) These two dimensions, "[i]n the light of the Gospel, ... acquire their full meaning and value in Mary," in whom virginity and motherhood coexist without exclusion or limitations. (2) Thus, Mary "helps everyone--especially women--to see how these two dimensions, these two paths in the vocation of women as persons, explain and complete each other." (3) Both dimensions of the female personality reflect two essential characteristics of women: openness to or capacity for the other and gift of self. This Article analyzes how these two dimensions of the female personality are integrated in economic activity and their relevance for sustainable economic growth.

The vocational dimension is not an economic issue but a reality much greater than the scope of any social science. It is a supernatural reality, albeit with human connotations because the one who receives a vocation is a human person. This Article suggests, however, that the essential characteristics of women reflected in these two vocational dimensions are relevant to the economic process. These characteristics are especially beneficial in the production of both human and social capital in the family and elsewhere. (4) Furthermore, woman's openness to or capacity for the other facilitates effective and efficient distribution within the economy. (5) This is specifically evident in work inside the home; it is also necessary for work conducted outside the home.

Motherhood, in the natural order of things, is the fruit of the marriage union of a man and a woman. Parenthood is shared by both the father and the mother. This suggests that men not only have a role as fathers, but a clear and unique vocation as well. Furthermore, it also suggests that a careful consideration of the role of woman in the economy cannot ignore the unique contribution of men. A complete family requires both a father and a mother. Since this Article focuses on the vocation of women, however, a full discussion of the role of men within the economy is beyond its scope. Still, this way of proceeding does not intend to underplay the role and vocation of men.

To address the relationship between women and economics, characteristics of the family and how the economy relates to these characteristics must be considered. A child normally comes into the world within a family, and it is within a family that the child first develops, that is, achieves personal progress and maturity. Even a single woman has a family; she is born into and belongs to one, whether or not she lives with her parents or siblings. In this sense the family is the first and the most fundamental place where economic activity begins and acquires its meaning. The analysis needs to start here in order to explain how the feminine characteristics previously mentioned fit into economic activity. For a life to be conceived, a mother and a father are needed. To come to term and be born, a child needs the mother's body. Evidence across social science indicates that from an economic point of view, healthy families are important because they directly impact human, moral, and social capital, therefore impacting resource use, economic activity, economic structures, and wealth accumulation--all of which are necessary for sustainable economic growth. (6) Empirical evidence also shows that when the family is disrupted, the individual and social costs are very substantial. (7)

The application of economic analysis to the study of the family has become a common practice in the last three or more decades. (8) This has attracted special interest to analysis on the decisions process of the economic agent, in this case the woman, as it relates to the family. (9) Gary Becker's groundbreaking work in this area has shaped this development in many ways. (10) In his approach, the Nobel Laureate employs a neoclassical framework in his analysis. (11) Thus the starting point of the model is a neoclassical utility function, which contemplates consumption goods that can be obtained in the market as well as goods that cannot be bought in the market but are produced at home or elsewhere. (12) From this perspective, it is often assumed that the economic agent's approach to relationships is strictly utilitarian. (13) Therefore, the household's decision process is typically analyzed from an individualistic point of view, that is, assuming a self-interested and utility-maximizing behavior on the part of the economic agent. (14) Within this framework, the family is studied in relation to relevant economic variables, such as consumption, interest rates, investment, labor markets, human, and social capital. More specifically, using tools from economic analysis, economists have tried to explain the realities of marriage, children, divorce, altruistic behavior, allocation of time between work and leisure, the generation of human and social capital, and family dynamics in general. (15)

I argue, however, that because of the intrinsic social dimension of the person, applying a selfish utility-maximization framework to the understanding of the economic dimension of the family is not appropriate. (16) The understanding of the contribution of woman to the economy, in her capacity as an economic agent, is especially relevant to explain why this is the case. The family is the first indispensable feature of society, and the woman's behavior within the family, in her capacity as an economic agent, is crucial to family development. (17)

A relevant point in understanding the remaining analysis undertaken in this Article is to recall this Article does not intend to carry out a theological analysis of the role of the feminine vocation in economic activity. Rather, it intends to provide an economic analysis of characteristics identified by Pope John Paul II as common to the feminine vocations of motherhood and virginity. (18) Human beings have both spiritual and material needs, both of which are necessary for their development as persons. (19) The need to obtain and to consume goods and services explains the reason for economic activity. (20) Analyzing how women act as economic agents in this activity can help us understand their role in the economy. In an effort to provide necessary goods and services, the economic agent needs to be aware of the totality of the person, yet her economic activity most directly pertains to the consumption needs of the human person. This understanding, however, does not necessarily produce a materialistic view of the person, but rather acknowledges that the science of economics pertains only to the material subsistence of the person. Furthermore, it acknowledges that--as is the case in any social science--in studying the two dimensions of the feminine personality through the prism of economics, only a partial view of these realities is analyzed. (21)

This Article is structured as follows: Part I discusses the feminine vocation and its characteristics as presented in Mulieris Dignitatem; Part II offers a framework for how women and the family fit in economic activity and explains the relevance of the work of the home in this context; Part III presents some empirical evidence that supports the framework and the explanation of the contribution of women to the economic process; and the last section provides concluding comments.

  1. FEMININE VOCATION AND COMMON CHARACTERISTICS

    In Mulieris Dignitatem, Pope John Paul II recalls the fundamental equal dignity as well as the complementarity that exists between the men and women. (22) In this context, he analyzes what is specific to women, including their unique vocation and role in society. (23) A point of departure for this analysis is the understanding of the human being as "a person, a subject who decides for himself," yet one who "cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of self." (24) That is, a person is a social, rational animal who is free and requires for his full development not only the use of his rationality, but also relationships with others. This is so because the human being--woman and man--was created in the image and likeness of God, (25) who is a communion of three persons in one God. A consequence of this social nature is marriage and the family formed from marriage. In marriage, the decision of the spouses to give themselves as mutual gifts can bring about new life. In this context, motherhood is the consequence of this mutual gift of the spouses and implies a special openness to a new person whom the woman conceives and to whom she gives birth. What is proper of women in this self-gift relationship is conceiving and giving birth. Thus, women are "naturally disposed to motherhood," and "[m]otherhood is linked to the personal structure of the woman and to the personal dimension of the gift." (26) She is the one who conceives and the one who carries and gives birth to the life conceived. (27) Although the Pope points out that "[h]uman parenthood is something shared by both the man and the woman" in a complementary manner, he also notes that "motherhood constitutes a special 'part' in this shared parenthood." (28)

    Because women carry their child to term within themselves, a unique openness and attention to another person arises within them, which "profoundly marks the woman's personality." (29) In fact, the husband learns, in many ways, his "fatherhood" from the mother." (30) It is a woman who brings the father into the relationship with the child by "first learn[ing] and then teach[ing] others that human relations [consist in being] open to accepting the other person ... who is recognized and loved because of the dignity which comes from being a person and not from other considerations, such as usefulness, strength, intelligence, beauty or health."...

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