http://economicwoman.com/2008/07/07/im-off-to-the-big-leagues-and-another-request/ economics and feminism collide Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:23:47 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 http://economicwoman.com/2008/07/07/im-off-to-the-big-leagues-and-another-request/#comment-239 Jennifer Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:09:24 +0000 http://economicwoman.wordpress.com/2008/07/07/im-off-to-the-big-leagues-and-another-request/#comment-239 Meant to comment on your last post but my original thought applies here too. On the first day of every economics class I teach, I ask students for their definitions of economics before giving them mine. My own definition is really basic: Economics is the study of choices. I go on to tell them, "And since life is a series of choices, economics is the study of life!" My point with the exercise is to get them to see that economics is a very broad, diverse field, much more so than people generally think from what they see in the media. For feminists in particular, I think it's important for those with little knowledge of economics to understand that there is much more to the field than the neoclassical mainstream. It's an understandable mistake, given the way things are portrayed in the media but personally, I really hate when I see any sentence that lumps all economists together when what the person really means is neoclassical economists (and usually the more traditional ones at that, ignoring that there are even many who consider themselves neoclassical but have a firmer grip on the reality of how people actually behave). Thanks for getting the word out! Meant to comment on your last post but my original thought applies here too. On the first day of every economics class I teach, I ask students for their definitions of economics before giving them mine. My own definition is really basic: Economics is the study of choices. I go on to tell them, “And since life is a series of choices, economics is the study of life!” My point with the exercise is to get them to see that economics is a very broad, diverse field, much more so than people generally think from what they see in the media. For feminists in particular, I think it’s important for those with little knowledge of economics to understand that there is much more to the field than the neoclassical mainstream. It’s an understandable mistake, given the way things are portrayed in the media but personally, I really hate when I see any sentence that lumps all economists together when what the person really means is neoclassical economists (and usually the more traditional ones at that, ignoring that there are even many who consider themselves neoclassical but have a firmer grip on the reality of how people actually behave). Thanks for getting the word out!

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