Over the last 3 decades, economic models have been developed that recognize that potentially conflicting interests may shape household decisions and the sharing of resources within families. This article provides an overview of how decision making within households has been modeled within economics, presents the main benefits and limitations of those models, and critically assesses their usefulness to researchers from other disciplines interested in the within‐ household distribution of resources. The main focus is on the theory, empirical application, and results of the currently dominant collective models, but the authors also look at developments that led up to them and some subsequent extensions and alternative approaches. Given the weight placed by policymakers and others on economic and quantitative evidence, it is incumbent on researchers of all disciplines to understand the achievements and limitations of the models used, explicitly or implicitly, to produce such evidence and the assumptions that lie behind them.

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in Economics Research at The Open UniversityThroughout the 1990s, The Open University has been developing its research capacity in economics. Economists at the OU comprise a lively and expanding group with a wide set of interests ranging from development policy to decision theory, from Marxist theories of profit to libertarian foundations of environmental policy and from econometric analysis of large data sets through institutional economics to the use of case-studies in policy formation. Nearly a 1000 students from around the world register each year to study economics courses and their needs, together with the multi-disciplinary nature of social science at the university, shape out research. Through a variety of personal and group research projects, our work makes a strong contribution to areas like business, public policy and even philosophy where sharply focused analysis can inform decision-making as well as contribute to scientific progress.In 1999, approximately £250,000 million worth of externally funded grants (3 from the ESRC) were held by discipline members, some of whom also act as consultants to national and international bodies. Approximately half a dozen students are currently reading for doctorates with members of the discipline and we are always interested in proposals from colleagues or potential students who would like to do research with us. The papers contain results of economic research which are the sole responsibility of the authors. Opinions expressed in these papers are hence those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect views of the University. Some of the journals in which discipline-51 - The Measurement of Capabilities:Paul Anand, The Open University Cristina Santos, The Open University and University College London Ron Smith, Birkbeck College, London-52 - The Measurement of CapabilitiesAbstract It has often been claimed that it is impossible to measure human capabilities but within the methodological conventions of household survey design, we show that some non-financial capability indicators do already exist and we demonstrate how similar indicators, covering a wide range of life domains, can be constructed. This chapter draws on a continuing research project which contributes to the operationalisation of the capabilities approach by devising over 60 capability indicators which can be used to extend coverage of indices such as HDI, illustrating different ways in which such indicators may be anal...

SPATIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A PRODUCTIVITY INDEX OF MARITIME PINE IN PORTUGAL. Forestry plays an important role in the Portuguese regional economy. With this in mind, it is clear that robust and consistent modelling techniques are required so that all decisions can be scientifically based. This work aims to calculate maps illustrating the spatial distribution of the productivity index of maritime pine in Portuguese forests, using geostatistical algorithms of stochastic simulation in association with GIS and spatial analysis functions. These geostatistical algorithms enable this productivity index to be inferred for the locations where this species occurs, but without sampling observations. In this particular case study, data were provided by the third National Forest Inventory of the State Forest Administration. Based on measurements collected in sampling plots, of the height and age of dominant trees, a productivity index was calculated, summarizing the growth gradient level per year. Experimental variograms showed that the productivity index treated as a categorical variable with five classes does not reveal any spatial continuity. On the other hand, the two components of the index – height and age of the trees – present a spatial structure displayed by long-range variograms. Hence, instead of dealing with the productivity index, the decision was made to characterize the spatial distribution of these two factors and to compose the index as the final step. Thus, a methodology is used for the joint spatial characterization of the height and age of maritime pine prior to the calculation of a productivity index. One of the main advantages of stochastic simulation methodologies is the ability to assess the local uncertainty (related to sampling density, location of the nearest samples and local variability), as well as to map the probability of occurrence of extreme scenarios (in this case study, for instance, excellent or unproductive areas). These methodologies are major tools for the sustainable planning and management of natural resources, making it possible to delimit areas of greater and lesser suitability for each type of forest and to understand better the influence of factors that really affect tree development and growth.

This paper discusses and estimates the costs of domestic violence using a life satisfaction approach. It draws on a British cross‐sectional data set that includes individual self‐reported life satisfaction, household income and experienced domestic violence. The paper estimates the costs of domestic violence as the compensating variation of domestic violence resulting from estimating a life satisfaction regression equation. Some attempts to deal with the problem of self‐selection into abusive relationships and to account for the endogeneity of household income are discussed and implemented. The results suggest that domestic violence is costed very highly by its victims, with estimates ranging from £27,000 to over £70,000. Hence this paper contributes to the literature on valuing non‐marketable goods and discusses the usefulness of a life satisfaction approach when estimating the costs of domestic violence. It claims that, despite its shortcomings, a life satisfaction approach allows for a valuation of domestic violence and answers questions often not answered by other valuation methods.

El número de estudiantes con Dificultades del Aprendizaje que accede a entornos universitarios está aumentando, lo que pone en relieve la importancia de realizar adaptaciones que se correspondan con las necesidades de este nuevo alumnado. Con el objetivo de analizar las barreras percibidas por estos estudiantes, se realiza una revisión sistemática a través de la base de datos Web of Science, sin restricción de fecha, utilizando un concepto amplio de dificultades de aprendizaje y combinado los siguientes descriptores: learning disabilities, highereducation, university, barriers. Se seleccionan, examinan y comparan un total de 23 artículos. Del análisis realizado se desprende que, si bien se están realizando esfuerzos por elaborar adaptaciones de calidad que se correspondan con las demandas de los estudiantes con Dificultades del Aprendizaje, las barreras aún parecen ser más numerosas que los sistemas de apoyo implantados. Las implicaciones a corto y largo plazo se analizan en la discusión.