Greed, Lust and Gender

A History of Economic Ideas

Business & Finance, Economics, Economic History, Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science
Cover of the book Greed, Lust and Gender by Nancy Folbre, OUP Oxford
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Nancy Folbre ISBN: 9780191608124
Publisher: OUP Oxford Publication: October 22, 2009
Imprint: OUP Oxford Language: English
Author: Nancy Folbre
ISBN: 9780191608124
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Publication: October 22, 2009
Imprint: OUP Oxford
Language: English

When does the pursuit of self-interest go too far, lapsing into morally unacceptable behaviour? Until the unprecedented events of the recent global financial crisis economists often seemed unconcerned with this question, even suggesting that "greed is good." A closer look, however, suggests that greed and lust are generally considered good only for men, and then only outside the realm of family life. The history of Western economic ideas shows that men have given themselves more cultural permission than women for the pursuit of both economic and sexual self-interest. Feminists have long contested the boundaries of this permission, demanding more than mere freedom to act more like men. Women have gradually gained the power to revise our conceptual and moral maps and to insist on a better-and less gendered-balance between self interest and care for others. This book brings women's work, their sexuality, and their ideas into the center of the dialectic between economic history and the history of economic ideas. It describes a spiralling process of economic and cultural change in Great Britain, France, and the United States since the 18th century that shaped the evolution of patriarchal capitalism and the larger relationship between production and reproduction. This feminist reinterpretation of our past holds profound implications for today's efforts to develop a more humane and sustainable form of capitalism.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

When does the pursuit of self-interest go too far, lapsing into morally unacceptable behaviour? Until the unprecedented events of the recent global financial crisis economists often seemed unconcerned with this question, even suggesting that "greed is good." A closer look, however, suggests that greed and lust are generally considered good only for men, and then only outside the realm of family life. The history of Western economic ideas shows that men have given themselves more cultural permission than women for the pursuit of both economic and sexual self-interest. Feminists have long contested the boundaries of this permission, demanding more than mere freedom to act more like men. Women have gradually gained the power to revise our conceptual and moral maps and to insist on a better-and less gendered-balance between self interest and care for others. This book brings women's work, their sexuality, and their ideas into the center of the dialectic between economic history and the history of economic ideas. It describes a spiralling process of economic and cultural change in Great Britain, France, and the United States since the 18th century that shaped the evolution of patriarchal capitalism and the larger relationship between production and reproduction. This feminist reinterpretation of our past holds profound implications for today's efforts to develop a more humane and sustainable form of capitalism.

More books from OUP Oxford

Cover of the book The Economic Development of Latin America since Independence by Nancy Folbre
Cover of the book Knowledge: A Very Short Introduction by Nancy Folbre
Cover of the book Jason and the Golden Fleece (The Argonautica) by Nancy Folbre
Cover of the book Twilight of the Idols by Nancy Folbre
Cover of the book Many Worlds? by Nancy Folbre
Cover of the book The Law of Industrial Action and Trade Union Recognition by Nancy Folbre
Cover of the book Medieval Britain: A Very Short Introduction by Nancy Folbre
Cover of the book The Illusion of Doubt by Nancy Folbre
Cover of the book Communism: A Very Short Introduction by Nancy Folbre
Cover of the book Philosophers Take On the World by Nancy Folbre
Cover of the book Detention under the Immigration Acts: Law and Practice by Nancy Folbre
Cover of the book The Oxford History of the Laws of England Volume II by Nancy Folbre
Cover of the book Time for a Visible Hand by Nancy Folbre
Cover of the book Money in the Western Legal Tradition by Nancy Folbre
Cover of the book The Financial Obligation in International Law by Nancy Folbre
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy