How Does She Know? Feminist Theories of Gender Bias in Economics
Author(s)
Folbre, Nancy
Abstract
This paper briefly reviews recent literature relevant to the conjunction of economics, epistemology, and feminist theory, focusing on three positions that emphasize the ‘social construction’ and ‘distortion’ of scientific inquiry: Kuhnian emphasis on paradigms, the Marxian concept of ideology, and postmodern rejection of meaningful arbitration between contending theories. Feminist economists have defended and developed variations on all three positions, but continue to rely heavily on Kuhnian critiques of the scientific community. This paper suggests that such critiques are seriously incomplete, and argues for more attention to political and economic factors outside the university that influence participation in the scientific community. The unequal distribution of financial and human capital restricts participation in the practice of social science.
