What Should Mainstream Economists Learn from Feminist Theory?
by Rebecca M. Blank 1) “. . . the treatment of gender in standard economic analysis is used as a metaphor in this volume for a broader set of problems in economic theory. The authors argue that a new “feminist economics” could provide a better explanation of human behavior over a broader range of economic situations. . . . Rather, the assumption that I find most problematic in the standard economic model is that in all cases choice is taken as the most useful characterization of how individuals respond to there social and economic environment. Our prototypical story about economic behavior describes an empowered individual. This person (male or female) who has a sense of choice in his or her life, who consciously seeks information on a broad range of subjects, and who engages in conscious and rational planning with the expectation that it will produce better results. In short, this is a person with a sense of control over his or her life, who perceives choices and acts on them. There i
