ECON 355(S) Feminist Economics

Neoclassical economics appears not to have much to say about gender: its tools purport to be gender-neutral and its framework universal. But a growing movement of feminist economists argue that this universality is illusory; neoclassical economics is based on a number of highly gendered assumptions that we often take for granted. These assumptions affect how we choose what is considered valuable economic activity, how we expect people to make decisions, and how we expect people to behave in different situations (for example, in the market vs. at home). Recently, there has been a profusion of research, both theoretical and empirical, challenging these assumptions. We will examine research by feminist economists on a variety of topics, including (but not limited to) household decision-making, women in development, balancing paid and unpaid labor, gendered images in economics texts and articles, and welfare reform. Requirements: several short reaction papers; a research paper; class participation and leading class discussions. Prerequisite: Economics 251 or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 20. This course satisfies the Economics Department's alternative paradigms requirement.

Hour: DOSS