2026/02/03 by Maria Letizia D’Autilia · 1 voice
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · #Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics #Income, Poverty, and Inequality #Italy: Economic History and Contemporary Issues
paper · doi:10.1080/09672567.2026.2619718
openalex publication_date 2026/02/03 · openalex created_date 2026/02/04 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/14
The aim of the study is to reconstruct the role of women economists who have had a significant impact on the development of the national accounts measurement in the post-World War II Era. In particular, the role played by sisters Maria and Vera Cao Pinna in defining household consumption was explored (The sources used to reconstruct the profiles of Vera and Maria were, for the most part, printed publications. Of particular interest are the documents (including typescripts and technical notes) and publications consulted in the libraries of Istat, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Senate of the Republic and the Court of Auditors. Some important biographical steps of Vera Cao Pinna have been reconstructed based on the information kindly provided to me by Giulia Zacchia, whom I thank for the advice and fruitful exchanges. The responsible of use in this work is solely mine.). Their expertise helped to overcome theoretical-definitional and statistical obstacles arising from the complex activity of defining the statistical framework for economic and social accounts, which still contribute to define the aggregate of private consumption consumption as a component of National Income. In the 1940s, private consumption expenditure presented problems related to both the estimation of quantities consumed and prices. These problems were subsequently overcome by applying the criterion of “consistency” between the aggregates that make up the National Accounts after the Second World War (The application of the consistency criterion, explained the 1954 Istat manual, established that there could be no omissions or duplications in the consumption account; furthermore, heterogeneous pricing systems should not be used between different accounts or aggregates of the same nature. In essence, the consumption aggregate was to be understood as meaning “national consumption of goods and services.”).