The aim of the author is to analyse how shifts in macro economic policies impact the provisioning of care in households and communities. The author analysis the impacts of three main macro economic policies: fiscal, monetary and trade liberalisation.
The author argues that economic policy frameworks overlook the extent to which economic activity in the household and informal sectors contribute to the functioning of the economy. The author claims that activities that include caring for human beings in their various life cycles are critical to economic growth and therefore economic decision makers should orientate economic policy to support social reproduction. The author recommends that macro economic policies should have broader goals and longer time horizons, as well as a focus on the distributional impact of the high cost of pro-cyclical macroeconomic management, in order to effectively address the social reproductive needs of society.