This course examines the ways in which the economic experiences of women in the United States differ from those of men. Topics include labor markets and wages, discrimination, poverty, the economics of the household, and the economics of reproduction. The particular situations of various ethnic groups and occupational groups are discussed. The economic experiences of women are analyzed in their social, political, and historical context. The development of Western economic thinking from Adam Smith to the present, stressing in its historical context the conflict between the mainstream of econ-omic thought and important alternatives such as the Marxist, institutional, and anarchist traditions.
Emphasis is on the works of a few major w riters.
This course will give students an opportunity to study one or a few related current topics in economics at an advanced level. May be repeated with permission of department chair. An opportunity for qualified students to engage in in-depth reading and research in any field of economics. Project should be based on work in a 300-level course the student has taken. Each student works closely with a faculty advisor and participates in a weekly independent study seminar.