Adam Smith argued that wages must be high enough to support a family so the race of workmen could last beyond the first generation. He stated that without sufficient wages, the working class would not survive.
Thomas Robert Malthus published his theory of population growth in 1798. He claimed that when wages rise, laboring families tend to have more children which eventually reduces wages again.
Gary Becker introduced the concept of household production functions in the 1960s through his article A Theory of Allocation of Time. His work became foundational for the field by analyzing how members allocate time between market work and household work.
Some Marxists view marriage as analogous to the employment relationship in capitalist society because they see it as a system where owners of household capital influence decision-making. This perspective contrasts with proposals that those doing production should control decisions.
The innovation of the pill paved ways for women to pursue careers while still getting married. Contraceptives increased the breadth of decision making within families by allowing women to restrain from sexual activities without fear of unplanned pregnancy leading to workforce participation decline.