Rethinking the Dismal Science
they would make in an industrialized as caregiving, family structure, and mainstream economics journals are
nation. Instead, she asks, what is the welfare policies, among others. taking note.
quality of life of the women who have Also in the works is a special All this is gratifying to Strassmann.
jobs as opposed to those who don’t? issue on gender and aging funded “It’s fundamental to academic inquiry
Kabeer points out that many by a $64,000 grant from the Swedish to talk to other people, to examine
women who work in garment factories International Development Agency. your own ideas, and to consider that
have been better able to feed their The issue will look not just at the status other people might know something
children, to leave abusive marriages, of women who are aging but at aging or have ideas that you don’t,” she
and to become contributing economic in general. And another upcoming says. “You also have to be willing to
members of their societies. While special issue examining women and consider that your own insights might
Kabeer is not defending the work the distribution of wealth has garnered not necessarily be the most useful for
conditions in the factories, she wants to their largest grant yet—$120,000 from people elsewhere.”
caution people not to artificially inflate the Ford Foundation. For the discipline of economics,
standards to such a degree that the The journal also would like to this means refining economic models
factories can’t operate. If that were to tackle at greater length, at some to incorporate women’s realities
happen, she says, some of these people point in the future, neglected areas within the family and marketplace,
would be worse off. such as economic issues related to understanding the nearly global
sexual orientation. “I’ve heard that imbalance between the sexes, and
articles about discrimination on the rectifying women’s perpetual second-
an inTernaTional PersPecTiVe basis of sexual orientation have been class economic position. “To the extent
rejected from economics journals that the field of feminist economics
Kabeer’s article and many others point on the grounds that it wasn’t the improves the welfare of women as a
to an often-overlooked truth: What kind of discrimination of interest to class,” Strassmann says, “it will have
is reality in Baltimore is not reality in economists,” Strassmann says. “We achieved one of its important goals.”
Botswana. Feminist Economics strives did publish a group of exploratory But, she stresses, feminist
to avoid pitfalls such as assuming that articles on lesbian, gay, and bisexual economics is as much about
cultural, economic, or legal details of economics in a past issue, more as an challenging stereotypes as it is about
a particular country are familiar to and inducement for further research rather women. “Rigid gender roles can be a
accepted by people elsewhere. Nor than as any sort of definitive study. We’d burden to men, too” she says. “We take
does the journal promote contributions like to publish more on this topic.” the position that equality and social
to the literature solely from limited values are shared and that making
geographic regions. society more equitable will enhance
Strassmann believes that an The BoTTom line the well-being of everyone—women,
international perspective is essential children, and men included.”
for the vitality of the field. “The Feminist Economics must be doing
exclusion of non-Western voices from things right. In 1997, it was voted the
participation in the construction of best new journal by the Council of Website:
much economic theory has led to Editors of Learned Journals, and the http://www.feministeconomics.org
theories that claim a false universality Social Science Citation Index, the
for Western economic phenomena,” most prestigious index for scholarly
she says. “For example, while most social science journals, consistently
mainstream economic models treat gives Feminist Economics solid marks
income as the primary determinant of among journals of both economics
economic well-being, property and and women’s studies—a significant
land rights are far more important in achievement considering only about
many parts of the world. Women’s lack 8 percent of all journals published
of land rights in many places has been worldwide are covered by the index.
a key source of gender inequality and a One real-world measure of the
barrier to women’s well-being.” journal’s increasing influence is the fact
Taking the international that it has 369 institutional subscribers,
approach, an upcoming theme issue with only about half of those in North
titled Lone Mothers will examine America. The rest are spread over every
the economic issues faced by single inhabitable continent. Another is that
mothers throughout the world. growing demand has prompted the
Funded by a Ford Foundation grant publisher to reprint early issues that
of nearly $65,000, it will highlight had gone out of print, and now the
the importance of understanding the journal’s entire catalog is available.
economic consequences of women’s Perhaps even more satisfying is that
dependence on gender-segregated now that Feminist Economics has given
labor markets as well as matters such a stronger voice to alternative views,
Winter ’04 29
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