Articles by Julie Nelson, Gabrielle Essay

Feminist economists can broaden our understanding of economic processes and institutions by exploring the ways in which people's economic opportunities, choices and constraints are influenced by their multiple and often contradictory social locations. Examining the ways in which ostensibly universal categories are constituted by oppositional dualisms can reveal the ways that false universalism naturalized and reproduces social hierarchy and inequality. Finally, taking gender seriously, as well as other significant dimensions of collective identity, will result in less partial and less distorted accounts of people's actual lives in all their many varieties. This can lead to economic theorizing that illuminates economic realities and facilities socially progressive policy analyzes (Burnett, 1999).

Value is the most important word to understand an economic and non-economic context. The word means to be strong or worthy. In purely economic terms is refers to the amount of some commodity, medium or exchange which is considered to be an equivalent for something else (Waring, )

Economic analysis is properly aimed at understanding the social relationships in which life is produced and reproduced in human societies. Critical examination of how work and skill are defined, distributed, and rewarded are crucial elements of such an analysis. By looking through the prism of gender, we can see much that is otherwise obscured. Feminist reconstructions of economics are now well underway. The process of redressing the invisibility of women and femininity in economic analysis is continuing, and new ways of thinking about economic process are emerging. These innovations, along with the recognition that racial and ethnic hierarchies have existed in labor markets across the entire span of capitalist development, will improve the capacity of economics to understand our world and act intelligently in it (Meagher, ).

Gender roles are not something that people chose but they are responsibilities that that they assigned based upon the culture that they are born into. Most do not have a choice about these roles they must follow the path that has been set down for them. Because of these pre-defined roles there tends to be a lot of inequalities that exist between the genders.It is these inequalities that lead to the economic issues that come about.

Economic activity is most definitely embedded into gender relations. These pre-determined roles that men and women must follow leads to differences in the economic opportunities and advantages that exist. Women are often thought of as inferior to men and their economic situations will reflect this. They are not given the same opportunities or afforded the same advantages that men are given. This leads to them earning lower wages and having fewer opportunities to get ahead in the business world. Unfortunately, none of this is based on ability but merely on the gender role that they have been assigned. And because of these gender roles in which they have been put there does not seem to be any easy way to disassociate ones self and move ahead based purely on ability until the gender roles stereotypes are broken.

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