The Household: Informal Order Around the Hearth

Ellickson explores the internal dynamics of the home in his new book The Household: Informal Order Around the Hearth. Writing for an audience of sociologists, economists, lawyers, and individuals interested in the fundamentals of domestic life, Ellickson applies transaction cost economics, sociological theory, and legal analysis as he examines how the home is ordered. The Household illustrates how households are formed and how they choose to govern themselves. Ellickson considers division of labor, homeownership issues, and the handling of domestic misconduct.

Using historical sources and statistics, the book compares traditional family-based households to more complex arrangements such as those in medieval English castles, Israeli kibbutzim, and modern housing communities.

“Most of the rules that govern the hearth,” Ellickson argues, “are not derived from law but rather are household-specific norms that evolve from the repeated interactions of household participants.”