Engendering Economics

It is an amazing fact that by the 1950's the percentage of all economic doctorates awarded to women dropped by a record low of under five percent. This book supports the growing feminist literature that challenge the unrelenting focus on the suburban post-war housewife that has obscured the complexity of women's lives during this period and the gender ambiguities embedded in the post-war culture.In a first of its kind, this book provides a richer understanding of the sociology of the economics profession by presenting the oral histories of women economists who received the PhD's between 1950 and 1975. Recounting their stories about their post-war experiences as family members, students and professionals, we learn not only what it was/is like to be a woman and /or African-American in a white male dominated profession, but also how the profession operates, and what specifically is required for its improvement. By interviewing a wide range of female economists, Olsen and Emami have managed to present an impressive scope of philosophical perspectives, career paths, research interests, feminist proclivities, and observations about the profession and women's place within it.The accessible style and insightful contributions within Engendering Economics will appeal to academics and students within the fields of economics ad sociology, as well as all with an interest in gender.