He doesn't name it but this strand of reasoning is the basis for social reproduction theory, related to but different from what marxists mean by social reproduc

He doesn't name it but this strand of reasoning is the basis for social reproduction theory, related to but different from what marxists mean by social reproduction. The core of it has to do with separating economic labor into the (crude, limited, but still useful) divisions of "thing-making" and "reproduction." Where the reproduction division is work having to do with creating and caring for people, (reproducing the means of labor). And then obviously most of that work has historically and currently still is associated with women: cooking, cleaning, education, nursing, and of course and importantly, literally reproduction in having and caring for children. These domains are almost universally less prestigious and less well paid than "thing making" work, though people argue it both ways about the cause and effect of this relationship. I find this theory has pretty solid explanatory power for a lot of things I see, while not being a perfect model for everything. What I find most interesting about it is how at the borders, it isn't exclusively about what is being done but also why. Construction work is clearly thing-making, but building housing so that a family or community can grow unimpeded has a strong element of reproduction to it as well. I find this both a strength and weakness of the model.