Exchange and Deception: A Feminist Perspective - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1402071604 ISBN 13: 9781402071607

Publisher: Springer, 2002

Synopsis

economic modelling and thought. Part three presents two case studies as examples of deceptive autonomy and shows the impact of this deception on the situation of women from the viewpoint of cultural studies and social anthropology. Part four relates methodological reflections on feminist and mainstream economics to the theme of the book. The first part of this book is devoted to a reconsideration of Adam Smith as a starting point for feminist perspectives on exchange. Drawing on Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments Caroline Gerschlager sets the stage for expanding the economic concept of exchange. She analyses and develops Smith's insight that deception is inevitable in the social setting. Smith's system of sympathy, which Gerschlager analyses as a system of exchange, i.e. exchange is conceived in terms of changing places in the imagination, is compared with exchange as conceived by the neoclassical approach. Her analysis reveals that these approaches arrive at contrasting results with regard to deception. Whereas in the former deception is vital to an understanding of exchange, the latter regards deception as an inefficiency, hindering exchange and ultimately making it impossible. Gerschlager points out that a certain degree of deception is inevitable, and that living in society therefore also amounts to "deceiving and being deceived".

About this title

Synopsis

This book aims at expanding and correcting "malestream" economic concepts of the exchange economy and its role in society by focusing on deception from a feminist economic perspective. The main motivation for writing the book was the realization that the prototypical economic model of exchange is notable for the total absence of deception. In standard economic models individuals are regarded as 'uncheatable'. Hence deception, even if individuals have an interest in it, cannot succeed. By contrast, the authors of this volume examine deception as the key to understanding the functioning of exchange by focusing on settings in which deception is successful in exchange. The authors draw on Adam Smith's "Theory of Moral Sentiments" as a starting point for a discussion on feminist views and perspectives on exchange and deception. This is supplemented by examinations of economic thought and traditional economic modelling within a feminist economic framework and by empirical insights into the situation of women.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1402071604
• ISBN 13: 9781402071607
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 180
• Editor: Gerschlager Caroline, Mokre Monika