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A Herstory of Economics
There were only a few women economists who made it to the surface and became a clear voice in the history of economic thought of Adam Smith, David Ricardo, John Maynard Keynes and Milton Friedman, right? Wrong.
In this book, distinguished economist Edith Kuiper shows us that the history of economic thought is just that--a his-story--by telling the "herstory" of economic thought from the perspective of women economic writers and economists. A lot of these women were well-known in their time but excluded from most of academic economics, and, over the past centuries, their work has been neglected, invisible, and forgotten. Edith Kuiper introduces the reader to an amazing crowd of female pioneers and shows how their insights are invaluable to understanding areas of economics ranging from production, work, the economics of the household, to income and wealth distribution, public policy, and much more.
This path-breaking book presents a whole new perspective on the development of economic thought. It will be essential reading for all students and scholars of the history of economic thought and feminist economics.
In this book, distinguished economist Edith Kuiper shows us that the history of economic thought is just that--a his-story--by telling the "herstory" of economic thought from the perspective of women economic writers and economists. A lot of these women were well-known in their time but excluded from most of academic economics, and, over the past centuries, their work has been neglected, invisible, and forgotten. Edith Kuiper introduces the reader to an amazing crowd of female pioneers and shows how their insights are invaluable to understanding areas of economics ranging from production, work, the economics of the household, to income and wealth distribution, public policy, and much more.
This path-breaking book presents a whole new perspective on the development of economic thought. It will be essential reading for all students and scholars of the history of economic thought and feminist economics.
222 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 17, 2024
2.5 rounded up. As an Economics major working in the financial field, I really appreciated the concept of this book, bringing female economists’ voices and contributions to the forefront. Unfortunately I didn’t think this book was doing exactly that. I had hoped to read about the economic models,and theories, and equations that were shaped or developed or reconceptualized by these women and their contributions. I also would have enjoyed reading about these traditional models explained in a new way that accounts for women and are not based solely on a rational male wage-earner. Unfortunately, this book was much less interesting than I had hoped. While it did cover the scope of early female contributions to what was is now referred to as home economics, that were lost to history and gender based discrimination, it also veered off course to discuss irrelevant or tangent topics in unnecessary and painful detail.
There were female economists mentioned, and their contributions were tied loosely to their fields of relevance like Dall and Breckinridge. However, most of the economics discussion was surrounding the predominant economic theories like Keynesian and Ricardian, as well as Smith’s theories. It did also feel like the author was reaching for a connection to her topic and that if actually economic theories. I also really disliked the flow of the topics in each chapter, it was inorganic and often confusing to string together the relevant details out of the jumble of words.
While it was interesting to read how the gothic genre of literature is technically considered an account of home economics down to the description of the role of clothing in the presentation of wealth and financial position, I found it really disappointing that these themes were more often l the focal point of discussion, and not the contributions of female economists to the more technical aspect of economics. This is definitely directly affected by the fact that these contributions may have yet to be accounted for or yet to exist, but nonetheless I didn’t pick this book up to read about tangent economics.
While this book does serve the feminist movement in on an enlightening topic, I wouldn’t really recommend this book due to its disorganized construction and egregiously repetitive nature.
I did find the premise honorable!
There were female economists mentioned, and their contributions were tied loosely to their fields of relevance like Dall and Breckinridge. However, most of the economics discussion was surrounding the predominant economic theories like Keynesian and Ricardian, as well as Smith’s theories. It did also feel like the author was reaching for a connection to her topic and that if actually economic theories. I also really disliked the flow of the topics in each chapter, it was inorganic and often confusing to string together the relevant details out of the jumble of words.
While it was interesting to read how the gothic genre of literature is technically considered an account of home economics down to the description of the role of clothing in the presentation of wealth and financial position, I found it really disappointing that these themes were more often l the focal point of discussion, and not the contributions of female economists to the more technical aspect of economics. This is definitely directly affected by the fact that these contributions may have yet to be accounted for or yet to exist, but nonetheless I didn’t pick this book up to read about tangent economics.
While this book does serve the feminist movement in on an enlightening topic, I wouldn’t really recommend this book due to its disorganized construction and egregiously repetitive nature.
I did find the premise honorable!
December 11, 2024
This book was engaging and thought-provoking. It delves deeply into economic concepts, and a solid background in economics is largely assumed, which might make it more challenging for readers unfamiliar with the field. However, it has influenced the way I think about economics. By highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of women to economic thought, broadened my perspective on the discipline. It made me reflect on how economics has traditionally been framed and how incorporating diverse voices can reshape our understanding of its history and future.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews