Essay Questions

What does the eponymous invisible heart represent?

The invisible heart, which is a central conceit author Nancy Folbre uses to explore the conflict between a person's altruism and self-interest, represents human compassion. It also represents the balancing act that goes on inside human beings who must decide if they want to act in a way that benefits others while still acting out of their own self-interests in ways that benefit the economy - and society - as a whole.

What kind of policy reforms does The Invisible Heart offer?

Author Nancy Folbre offers readers a number of policy reforms throughout her book. Most notably, Folbre discusses reforms involving the welfare system, school finance, progressive taxation, as well as reform related to globalization and economics systems as a whole. Folbre offers these reforms to help balance the scales of altruism and self-interest for people around the world - but especially women.

Why does Folbre advocate for the creation of new rules surrounding caregiving?

Folbre advocates for the creation of new rules surrounding caregiving because needy families will suffer more than they already are. Increased economic conditions, she argues, may stop altruistic behavior being encouraged and may drive families out of their businesses and may prevent them from being able to economically succeed. As a result, in order to keep a level playing field, Folbre argues that a set of rules should be established.