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Abstract
This study examines the labor force participation of women in Chile in an attempt to determine the critical factors influencing the activity of women in a Latin American culture. Particular attention is focused on household composition and socioeconomic status.
The data set used in the study is a 5 percent sample of the 1970 Chilean population census on computer tape, supplemented by published census and survey data from earlier years. The principal approach for analysis is a comparison of labor force participation rates across specific subgroups of the population. This is accomplished through the use of cross-tabulations and Multiple Classification Analysis.
Variables included in the analysis are marital status, number and age of children, household structure, domestic servants in residence, household socioeconomic status, women's education, migration and residence.
Results of the study show that women's education is the primary factor for effecting female economic activity. The study establishes that strong institutional barriers exist for the labor force participation of married women, and it is concluded that these barriers are overcome by high socioeconomic status, through the advantage of education as well as the knowledge and privilege to deviate from traditional norms.
Single women are less constrained by norms prescribing familial roles for women. Yet education is also effective for their labor force participation levels. A large proportion of domestic servants in the labor force weakens the positive association for socioeconomic status and female activity among single women, but does not disturb the fundamental direction of the relationship.
Fertility is also found to have a positive association with married women's activity. But child care is eliminated as a major constraining factor because of the availability of substitutes for the mother's time through the presence of other females in the household and domestic servants. The conclusion drawn is that the fertility/labor force participation relationship is a result of underlying values that are affecting both of these behaviors.
