Economics 343, Feminist Economics
Spring 2003, Thurs
Instead Feminist Cooperative
Professor Julie Matthaei
Economics Department, PNE 423,
Office Hours:
Tues.,
x2181, home office: 617-868-6133 (
COURSE
DESCRIPTION:
Feminist economics
critically analyzes both economic theory and economic life through the lens of
gender and advocates various forms of feminist economic transformation. In this course, we will explore this new,
exciting, and self-consciously political and transformative field. After a
theoretical and empirical introduction to the subject, we will study mainstream
analyses of gender differences and inequality, for these analyses provide the
foundation for feminist economic analysis and critique. Then we will study feminist economic
methodology, theory, policy prescriptions, and visions of a feminist economic
future.
The course will end
with student presentations of their research projects.
The class is
structured to be reading- and discussion-intensive, and enrollment will be
limited. An outline of the class topics
and readings is attached.
In accordance with
feminist visions of mutuality and equality, I aspire to creating a democratic,
consensus-based classroom process. Although I am providing you with the
backbone for the course, including suggested topics and readings, we can revise
and flesh out the course as needed
during the course of the semester.
For this, we will use a consensus-based process of decision-making – i.e.
we strive towards decisions that everyone can be happy with, e.g. for a
structure that works for everyone involved in the class. I suggest that we
devote the last 5-10 minutes of each class meeting to an evaluation of the
day’s class, including any suggestions as to how to improve the course
structure, and will also create a course subconference for that purpose.
ASSIGNMENTS:
In my view, student
assignments have a three-fold purpose: 1) to
develop and stretch your capacities and learning of the topic of
feminist economics; 2) to give me way to grade you, as I am required to do; and,
if possible 3) to give you an experience of making a positive contribution to
the world through scholarly work, e.g. by helping educate others in our class,
at Wellesley, as well as people in society at large, regarding feminist
economics. We will discuss and refine
these purposes in class, as well as work together to create assignments that
best fulfill our purposes. One issue
that is open to discussion is which assignments you would like me to grade, and
how final grades would be tallied. What
I present below is my preliminary thoughts on assignments, which will serve as
a beginning for our discussions on the issue.
SHARED
A DATA SHEET for the
second class meeting. To get ourselves
up to speed on the current extent of gender difference and inequality in the
RESPONSE EVALUATION
SHEETS for the readings in Parts I and II, which essentially ask students to
think about what they found most enlightening and most unenlightening/wrong
about the day’s readings, as well as what they would like to have explained or
discussed more. Students would be asked
to post these on the course conference ahead of class. These help lay the foundation for informed
and engaged class discussions.
TAKE-HOME
EXAMINATION ON PART II, “Mainstream Economic Analysis of Gender Differences and
Inequality, ” both for grading purposes, and to help students solidify their
understanding of mainstream economic discourse relating to gender. This will provide a necessary foundation for
the critiques and alternatives provided by feminist economists, which
constitute the core of the course. If
handed in on time (3/27), the take-home can be rewritten, and the grade for it
calculated as a weighted average of the original and rewrite grades.
RESPONSE PAPERS on
the core feminist economics readings of Part III, again posted for reading on
the course conference before the class meeting in question.
INTERVIEW WITH A
FEMINIST ECONOMIST: Feminist economics
is a new, multi-faceted, and evolving field and the question, “What is feminist
economics?” and “What should feminist economics be?” are key questions which we
will be examining throughout the course.
I suggest that students interview feminist economists on these topics,
working alone or in pairs. Students
would write up their interviews, and post them on the class conference by 3/10,
and then we would have a discussion of the definitions of feminist economics in
class on 3/13. If we find this project
to be enlightening, a subgroup of students may decide to do their research
project on it, which could result in an article on this topic for Feminist
Economics (and for our class website).
I also think it would be really fun to write a rap song on feminist
economics, using what we learned in the interviews.
PARTICIPATION IN THE
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A COURSE CONFERENCE AND WEBSITE: We will together construct a course
conference and possibly a feminist economics website (with the help of a
computer science student) to improve our communication with one another, and so
that we can share the insights, links, and information we come up with in class
and in research projects with others at Wellesley and in the world.
RESEARCH PROJECT: I
conceive of the research project as centering around a 15-30 page paper, which
students would present briefly at the last class meeting (a dinner, to be
scheduled). Your paper and presentation
could be done individually or in a group, but any group project would be
expected to show more work.
Your research project
could be in any of these areas:
-- critical analysis
of a piece of feminist economics
-- synthesis and
evaluation of feminist economic research on a particular topic
-- original feminist
economic critical analysis of some aspect of mainstream or radical economic
theorizing
-- original conceptual
and/or empirical feminist economic analysis of a particular topic
-- working on the
class website or constructing a feminist economics website
-- writing up
findings of classmates on definitions of feminist economics for an article
I would like to
construct the research project as a series of assignments that build on one
another, and which involve soliciting feedback from one’s fellow students and
from me, the professor. I suggest that
students be divided into writing groups of three or four students each. Early in the course, students would prepare
short written descriptions of their topics (one or two paragraphs), and discuss
it with me and with their writing group; then they would write a first draft,
on which they would receive detailed feedback from the members of their writing
group; then, they would submit a second draft to me for my comments. The final draft would be due at the end of
the exam period. Students would also practice their presentations in their
writing groups, and give one another constructive feedback.
CURRENT EVENTS can
be a very helpful way to connect the somewhat abstract and almost always dated
information in the class to the real world in the present. Each student would present a current event of
her choice related to the topic of feminist economics sometime during the
semester; ideally, the topics chosen would relate to the day’s topic. Presentations, including any questions or
discussion, would be limited to 10 or 15 minutes.
GETTING TO KNOW ONE
ANOTHER outside of class helps us make the most of the learning experience of
our class. I have regular office hours
on Tuesdays from 1:30 – 3 pm, and by appointment; please come and see me. We also might want to have some dinners together
on Thursdays after class, or at lunchtime in the dorms.
GRADING
A student’s final
grade will be a weighted average of their various assignments, as determined by
the class early on in the semester. All
assignments do not have to be graded – I would suggest that only the take-home
and research paper be graded, along with a response paper of the student’s
choice, which they could rewrite before handing it in. Graded assignments and weights could be the
same for all students, or vary among them.
FEMINIST
ECONOMICS COURSE OUTLINE
** denotes readings or activities which are
recommended, not required
PART 1: INTRODUCTIONS
1/30: Class 1:
Introductions
-- Introductions of one
another
-- Introduction to feminist
economics, and the general outline of the course; read through syllabus
-- Introduction to and
discussion of the class structure, assignments, and grading; including first
part of the syllabus and consensus process
-- Discussion of work to do
for next class: data we’d like to get,
and assigning of data projects to students or groups of students for 2/6 class;
current event and food volunteers
2/6: Class 2: Gender difference and inequality in the
Francine Blau, Marianne Ferber, and Ann Winkler, The
Economics of Women, Men, and Work (BFW), Ch. 4, pp. 81-91; Ch.5; Ch. 8; Ch.
11
Chandra Mohanty,"Women Workers and Capitalist
Scripts: Ideologies of Domination, Common Interests and the Politics of
Solidarity," in Feminist Genealogies. Colonial Legacies. Democratic
Futures, 1997, pp 3‑29
**
Chandra Mohanty, "Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial
Discourses" Feminist Review 30, Autumn 1988, pp 61‑88
--
discussion of course assignments and grading; discussion of ideas for course
conference and website
-- sharing and presentation of data sheets
-- discussion of any issues/questions re BFW chapters
** 2/7: Coco
Fusto, feminist performance artist, “At Your Service: Latinas in the Global Information Network,”
Check out her website at http://www.thing.net/~cocofusco/
2/10: Talk by Chandra Mohanty, “Feminism without
Borders: The Politics of Transnational
Feminism,” Collins
2/13: Class
3: Introduction to Feminist Theory
bel hooks video, excerpts, in class
Teresa Amott and Julie Matthaei, Race, Gender and
Work: A Multicultural Economic History
of the Women in the
Catharine MacKinnon, Toward a feminist theory of
the state, excerpts
Julie Matthaei and Barbara Brandt, “Beyond Gender,
Race, and Class? Thoughts on a Possible
Feminist Future,” Wellesley College Working Paper, excerpts.
Evelyn Nakano Glenn, “The Social Construction and
Institutionalization of Gender and Race:
An Integrative Framework” in Revisioning Gender, ed. By
Asch, Adrienne et al, “Disabilities and Women: Deconstructing Myths and Reconstructing
Realities,” in J. Worell, ed., Encyclopedia of Women and Gender
(Academic Press 2002), 345-354.
** bel hooks, “Feminism: A Movement to End Sexist
Oppression” in Feminist Theory: From
Margin to Center
** Amrita Rasu, ed., The Challenge of Local
Feminism
** Fung, Richard. Looking for My Penis: The Eroticized
Asian in Gay Porn.
** Check out this feminist theory website: http://www.cddc.vt.edu/feminism/enin.html
LIST OF FEMINIST ECONOMISTS TO CHOOSE FROM HANDED OUT
PART II: MAINSTREAM
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF GENDER DIFFERENCES AND INEQUALITY
2/20: Class 4.
The Economics of the Household
BFW, Chs. 3 and 4
Gary Becker, The Economics of the Family, excerpts
** Francis Wooley, “Getting the Better of Becker, Feminist
Economics
INTERVIEWS OF FEMINIST ECONOMISTS ASSIGNED
2/27: Class
5. The Economics of Occupational
Segregation and the Gender Earnings Gap
BFW, Review Ch. 5, Read Chs. 6 and 7
Discussion on fem-econ “Is sex discrimination
profitable?” (see resources folder)
** Martha Reskin's anthology, Sex
Segregation in the Workplace. It is available on line at
http://www.ulib.org/webRoot/Books/National_Academy_Press_Books/sex_segregation/sex001.htm; In particular, Francine Blau's piece,
"Occupational Segregation and Labor
Market Discrimination," includes a
good summary of alternative theories of discrimination (though mainly from
within the neoclassical tradition).
Speaker on gender discrimination and feminist activism
in the early 1970s: Shirley Schell
3/6: Class
6. Economic Analysis of Recent Historical
Developments and Policy Issues
BFW, Chs. 8, 9, and 10
TAKE HOME EXAMINATION
on PARTS I and II HANDED OUT: Due
3/13 (can be rewritten if handed in on
time)
Living History:
Speaker: Malora Matthaei
PART
III. FEMINIST ECONOMICS
3/10 POST YOUR
INTERVIEW WRITE-UPS ON CLASS CONFERENCE BY 3/10
Class 7 (3/13)
Feminist Economic Methodology
Read postings on definitions of feminist economics on
course conference
Julie Nelson and Marianne Ferber, Feminist
Economics Today: Beyond Economic Man, excerpts.
Drue Barker
and Edith Kuipel, Toward a Feminist
Philosophy of Economics, excerpts
Sandra Harding, "Can Feminist Thought Make
Economics More Objective?" Feminist Economics 1:1 (Spring 1995)
** Julie Nelson, Feminism,
Objectivity, and Economics (1996)
DISCUSSION IN CLASS OF
INTERVIEWS ON DEFINITIONS OF FEMINIST ECONOMICS
TAKE HOME EXAMINATION DUE
SPRING BREAK
Class 8
(3/27) Feminist Economic Theory 1: Interrogating “Rational Economic Man” and the Purpose of Economics
Julie Nelson visits class; prepare questions for her
Julie Nelson, "The Study of
Choice or the Study of Provisioning?" and
Paula England, "The Separative Self: Androcentric Bias in Neoclassical
Assumptions,” in Julie Nelson and Marianne Ferber, Beyond Economic Man
Julie Nelson and Marianne Ferber, Feminist
Economics Today: Beyond Economic Man, excerpts
Drue Barker and
Edith Kuipel, Toward a Feminist Philosophy of Economics, excerpts
Ann Jennings, "Public or Private: Institutional Economics and Feminism,"
in Ferber and Nelson, eds., Beyond Economic Man
** Sandra Harding talk and comments on it,
from International Association of Feminist Economis 2002 Conference
Class 9
(4/3) Feminist Economic Theory II:
Analysis of GNP and Caring Labor
MOVIE, “Who’s Counting” (1990?)
Documentary on Pioneering Feminist Economist, Marilyn Waring, of
Hypatia, Special Issue on
Love and Work, selected articles
Nancy Folbre, The Invisible Heart, excerpts
** Marilyn Waring, If Women Counted
** Mary King, “Patriarchal Regimes,” presented at
IAFFE Meetings 2002 (write her to get it)
Class 10
(4/10) Feminist Economic Analysis of
Development and International Economics
S. Charusheela and Eiman
Zein-Elabdin, “Feminism, Postcolonial Thought, and Economics,” from Feminist
Economics Today
Class 11
(4/17) (Passover) Feminist Economic
Policy Prescriptions
Nancy Folbre, The Invisible Heart, Excerpts
Rebecca M. Blank and
Cordelia W. Reimers, “Economics, Policy Analysis, and Feminism,” from Feminist
Economics Today
Class 12
(4/24) Feminist Economic Visions:
Cook dinner at Cornerstone, an intentional co-housing
community, for the class and for invited members of Cornerstone; discussions
with Cornerstone members regarding
co-housing as a progressive feminist solution for the work/family crisis, and as
a way to combine individuality and community
Talk by Barbara Brandt, Co-Founder and Director of the
National Shorter Work Time Project from 198?-2002; Massachusetts Organizer of “Take
Back Your Time Day” and author of Whole Life Economics
Julie Matthaei, “Healing Ourselves, Healing Our Economy: Paid Work, Unpaid Work, and the Next Stage of
Feminist Economic Transformation,” Review of Radical Political Economics
check out www.timeday.org,
website of shorter work time movement
check out www.cohousing.org,
www.cohousing.ca/, and www.cornerstonecohousing.org,
cohousing websites
check out www.coopamerica.org,
website of Co-Op
April 28: Presentation
by Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, U.N. Commission on
Human Rights: “Cultural Practices
Harmful to Women”
Class 13
(5/1) Feminist Economic Visions: International
and
Development
Vandana Shiva, interview in Yes! A Magazine of
Positive Futures, Winter 2003 “earth
democracy”
Maria Mies and
Vandana Shiva, Ecofeminism, Chapter 1, "Introduction," Chapter
17, "Liberating the Consumer," and Chapter 20, "The Need for a
New Vision: the Subsistence
Perspective."
LAST CLASS
MEETING: TO BE SCHEDULED: CLASS DINNER with SHORT STUDENT PROJECT
PRESENTATIONS
RESEARCH PAPER DUE, LAST DAY OF READING PERIOD