Book Description

The excellent list of themes and chapters in this volume reflects the maturity reached by feminist economics in its different dimensions. Based on the notion of social provisioning for all as the basic objective of economics, they represent a challenge to conventional economic thought and they show the importance of understanding theory, institutions, empirical work, and policy from a gender perspective. The global perspective provided through themes and authors is a very useful contribution to the literature. Lourdes Bener'a, Cornell University, US Standard economics has a narrow and distorted vision of what the economy is, and how it works. Gender scholars are on the forefront of developing better, more encompassing models of human provisioning for well-being. This volume presents a wonderful sampling of these new theoretical and empirical developments. Paula England, New York University, US This is an impressive collection that delves deeply and broadly into the myriad ways that gender shapes and alters economic lives and illuminates complex facets of the economic and social provisioning process across the globe. The chapters, by an exciting variety of researchers, policy analysts, and practitioners from numerous fields, present a consistent and persuasive vision of economic well-being as critical to the flourishing of all people. Myra H. Strober, Stanford University, US In the aftermath of global economic downturn, it has never been more important to understand how gender relates to economic life and well-being. This interdisciplinary collection of original research details key areas of intersection, provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of research and proposes avenues for further investigation. The Handbook illuminates complex facets of the economic and social provisioning process across the globe. The contributors academics, policy analysts and practitioners from wide-ranging areas of expertise discuss the methodological approaches to, and analytical tools for, conducting research on the gender dimension of economic life. They also provide analyses of major issues facing both developed and developing countries. Topics explored include civil society, discrimination, informal work, working time, central bank policy, health, education, food security, poverty, migration, environmental activism and the financial crisis. Economists, sociologists and political scientists will find this book to be an invaluable research tool, as will academics, researchers and students with an interest in economics particularly feminist economics gender studies and global studies.