The seminar will allow for a critical, feminist, and intersectional reflection on the contemporary economy as a complex system that rewards and privileges some and excludes and discriminates against others. Basic theories, drawn by feminist economics from various disciplines such as sociology, social geography, philosophy, or anthropology, will be used to discuss issues such as the position of women and minority groups in the labour market, unpaid work, the feminisation of poverty, the stigmatisation of migration, environmental poisoning, the distribution of wealth in the world and the role of global institutions, among others. In class, we will also discuss possible economic alternatives (proposals from social movements, progressive changes), pointing out the agency and action of women and minority groups for change. Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to search for and interpret reliable data on women in the economy (not only in the labour market), critically analyse basic feminist economics texts, and perceive and understand the impact of the economy as a system on women and men from an intersectional perspective.

In an interactive and accessible way (case studies, film excerpts, discussions of texts), issues related to the gender perspective in public/professional, private (unpaid work) or social/institutional spaces (also in the global dimension) will be presented and discussed.

1. Introduction to gender studies and feminist economics2. Gender and the labour market - contemporary challenges3. Feminisation of poverty, migration, environmental pollution - crises and opportunities4. Gender budgeting, women’s unpaid work and the role of the state in the economy [budget - role play]5. Quality of life and social policy6. Distribution of wealth in the world, gender and development7. Global institutions, the global economy - feminist critique and alternatives

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Students who are enrolled in the Gender Studies extension programme or whose curriculum includes the respective course as a mandatory subject will be given preferential admission.ATTENTION: For a preferential admission, it is imperative that you register for the course using the study programme Gender Studies Extension or the respective degree programme for which the course is mandatory. Otherwise, preferential admission cannot be considered.

Textbooks: Kathy Davis, Mary Evans and Judith Lorber (eds), 2006. Handbook of Gender and Women's Studies, SAGE; Günseli Berik and Ebru Kongar (eds), 2021. The Routledge Handbook of Feminist Economics, Routledge; Mary Romero (ed), 2023. Research Handbook on Intersectionality, Edward Elgar.Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, 2011. Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty, Penguin Books;Antonella Picchio (ed), 2003. Unpaid Work and the Economy: A Gender Analysis of the Standard of Living, Routledge;Barbara Ehrenreich, 2008. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Holt Paperbacks.Clive L. Spash, 2017. Routledge Handbook of Ecological Economics: Nature and Society;Daniel Dreier, 2023. “Time Banking and Time-Based Currency in Switzerland” https://www.moneyland.ch/en/time-banking-currency-switzerland-guideGigi Francisco, 2005. Engendering the WTO? What Else? DAWN / IGTN.Janet Momsen, 2019. Gender and Development, Routledge, pp. 1-21.Jason Hickel, 2020. Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World, Windmill Books;Joel Bakan, 2004. The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, Free Press;Kate Raworth, 2017. Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist, Chelsea Green Publishing.Lucy Delap, 2020. Feminisms: A Global History, University of Chicago Press.Naomi Klein, 2014. This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate, Simon & Schuster;Parvin Ghorayshi and Claire Belanger, 1996. Women, Work, and Gender Relations in Developing Countries: A Global Perspective, Greenwood Press;Pun Ngai, 2005. Made in China: Women Factory Workers in a Global Workplace, Duke University Press.Rebekah Diski, 2022. A Green and Caring Economy: Final Report, Women’s Budget Group UK.Robert B. Reich, 2007. Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy and Everyday Life, Vintage Books;Ruth Lister et al., 2007. Gendering citizenship in Western Europe: New challenges for citizenship research in a cross-national context, Policy Press, pp. 17-43.Shahra Razavi and Shireen Hassim, 2006. Gender and Social Policy in a Global Context: Uncovering the Gendered Structure of ‘the Social’, Palgrave Macmillan;Social Watch, 2006. Impossible Architecture: Why the Financial Structure is Not Working for the Poor and How to Redesign it for Equity and Development https://www.socialwatch.org/node/9298;Thomas Piketty, 2022. A Brief History of Equality, Belknap Press.Zofia Łapniewska, 2016. “Growth, equality and employment: investing in childcare in Scotland”, Glasgow Caledonian University;Zofia Łapniewska, 2018. Transconceptualisation of Gender Budgeting Ideas in the Polish Context. [In:] A. O’Hagan and E. Klatzer (eds.) Gender Budgeting in Europe, pp. 247-269. Palgrave Macmillan;Zofia Łapniewska, 2016. Well-being in the context of gender equality. [In:] M. Warat et al. (eds) Gender equality and quality of life: perspectives from Poland and Norway, pp. 61-101. Peter Lang.Link auf weitere Informationenhttps://moodle.aau.at/course/view.php?id=42782

Credit on the basis of active participation in classes (for each class it will be required to read a short text for discussion) and written work - group work (up to 3 persons) done at home (a mini-report on a selected problem related to the course).

The final paper (group work) should include: 4 - 6 pages (1 page -literature review/ problem statement + 3 pages of quantitative data analysis +1 page of notes from the interview, summary), standard font, full bibliographyrequired). All papers will be checked with anti-plagiarism software and GPTZero.

Activity in class will account for 30% of the final grade. Class activity will be assessed on the basis of oral contributions (on short texts that are compulsory readings for the class, or a topic discussed in class).The remaining 70% will be the assessment of the group report.