To truly understand the level of development in a country, it’s important to examine the types of items that people have in their homes, say economists Rutger Schilpzand and Jeroen Smits from Radboud University. While studies on low- and middle-income nations often concentrate on aspects like income, health, or education, these factors alone do not provide a complete picture of a nation’s circumstances. Therefore, the researchers are embarking on a study to document the growth of material wealth in households, a concept they refer to as the ‘domestic transition.’ Their findings are published today in the Journal of International Development.
Nowadays, residents of wealthy nations find it hard to envision life without appliances like refrigerators, televisions, or washing machines, yet prior to 1960, very few households had access to these technologies. However, the situation changed dramatically in just a few years: by about fifteen years later, nearly every home in these countries was equipped with such devices. This shift from minimal household possession to widespread ownership of these items is what the researchers describe as ‘the domestic transition.’ In their study, they discuss the implications of this transition for developing countries and the factors that can accelerate it.
Decent standard of living
The appliances prevalent in wealthier households today symbolize the fundamental elements required for a decent quality of life. ‘Almost every household in affluent communities that can afford these items does so,’ states Smits. ‘This is no surprise, as beneath the vibrant images we associate with markets in developing regions, or women washing clothes in rivers, lies an extensive burden of labor, largely borne by (house)wives.’ Schilpzand concurs, stating that acquiring a refrigerator or washing machine significantly lightens their workload and enables them to redirect their time towards more productive activities. ‘Consequently, the domestic transition is vital for enhancing the welfare of women around the globe.’
Phase and speed of the transition
While wealthy nations completed their domestic transitions many years ago, many developing countries are still on this journey, with some just starting out. The researchers were curious to discover if the transition in emerging nations progresses similarly to how it unfolded in Western nations several decades ago, which involved a slow initiation, a rapid surge toward widespread ownership, and ultimately reaching a saturation point. To investigate this, they analyzed television and refrigerator ownership across 1,342 regions in 88 low- and middle-income countries.
The findings confirmed that the transition indeed mirrored the patterns observed in Western nations. Nevertheless, significant variations in both the phase and speed of this transition were noted, both among and within countries. Smits remarks, ‘While places like China and Mexico have nearly completed their transitions, in rural Sub-Saharan Africa, the process has hardly started. There, meeting essential needs such as food, clothing, and shelter comes before people can think about purchasing a refrigerator.’
Related factors
The research also indicates that the transition begins earlier and progresses more quickly in urban areas. Regions experiencing greater economic growth and higher educational attainment also undergo transitions at a faster rate. A favorable balance of children and elderly individuals to the working-age population is also crucial.
‘Our analysis has enhanced our understanding of the living conditions in developing countries, the necessities for achieving a reasonable quality of life there, and the potential speed of these changes,’ Schilpzand elaborates.
