Hello everyone – this is your newest guest blogger, reporting for duty! My name is Allison Martell, and I write about feminism and economics at Economic Woman. I also contribute to the group blog over at Shameless Magazine. Like Shameless, I’m based in Toronto, where I supplement my stats homework with cycling, vegetarian cooking, and productivity geekery.
I started Economic Woman in reckless moment shortly after WAM! 2008. I say reckless because I’m only marginally qualified to write about this stuff – most econ bloggers are professors, or at least graduate students, and my only relevant experience is as a freelance journalist and undergraduate economics student. But economics can be a lonely discipline for a woman, a feminist, really any sort of leftist. I wanted a place to chronicle my own intellectual development, and I also wanted to try to bridge the gap between the feminist and economic blogospheres.
Thanks for all the great input – you folks have made planning my posts much easier. Over the next couple weeks I’ll do my best to address your questions and suggestions. I’ll also point you towards some further reading and online resources about economics and feminist economics, and introduce you to some other fabulous bloggers.
I welcome more feminist economists! It beats relying on Megan McArdle for female economists/business pundits!
Oh, Toronto! I know awesome people in Toronto.
(I am, however, a born and bred Westerner, and thus I must distrust you. You understand, right? *grin*)
Seriously, have you been to Girl Geek Dinners in Toronto?
lol at your title.
Also, it’s good to see other people that specifically are trying to mesh economics and feminism. I look forward to reading what you have to say.
Dismal as in ‘the dismal science’?
Yay Toronto! I’m from Toronto but am living in Kingston for the summer. Please do educate me about Economics (especially as this guy at work is driving me nuts with his pretentious nonsense because he’s an econ major and I’m “just an English grad”. Bah!
What I mean to say is “welcome” and I look forward to your posts!
Anna: I have not, and I had never heard of them until now. I’ve bookmarked your site. I was more of a geek in high school, but after a horrible summer job spent writing XML I basically quit to be a writer. As my skills become more and more out of date, I become more intimidated by other geeks! But that’s silly, I know. I think I’d like to drift back into a bit of coding, so maybe I should set up some sort of skill share…
bill: That was the idea, though of course I don’t think it’s particularly dismal. Journalist to the core, I’ll always pick the cute headline over the accurate one. ;)
Katy: Don’t get your coworker get you down. Economics students are notoriously boring, on their one-way journey to Ernst & Young. He’s just jealous.
Allison, if you go, please let us know what it’s like. I’m thinking Halifax needs its own chapter. :)
Allison: Thanks! I’ll keep that in mind (and try to remember to close my brackets). :)
Exholt: Thanks as well, it is lovely to hear about people having similar issues!
Allison: Out of curiosity, which economic theory(ies) do you subscribe to/prefer and why? Also, where do you stand on Rational Choice theory, its uses, and limitations in studying economics and other social science/humanities fields?
Just asking the second question as nearly every econ major I’ve met with two exceptions have seen that theory as a great all-purpose tool to analyzing, understanding, and even solving economic, political, and other messy social/human problems.