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Economics Without Money; Sex Without Gender: A Critique of Philipson and Posner's "Private Choices and Public Health: The AIDS Epidemic in an Economic Perspective"

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  • Kimberly Christensen

Abstract

''Economics Without Money; Sex Without Gender'' critiques Tomas Philipson and Richard Posner's neoclassically-based model of sexual ''trades'', which argues that ''market'' mechanisms will be largely sufficient to control the AIDS epidemic. As feminist economists have pointed out, such neoclassically-based models rest upon strong assumptions regarding the availability of information, the partners' egotism, the absence of extra-economic coercion, and the ability of all parties to exit the market. In so doing, these models ignore the ways in which political, social, and cultural inequalities (e.g., race, gender, class, and nationality) may systematically bias market negotiations, including those over safe sex. The paper critiques the model's neoclassical assumptions and its prescriptions for public policy in the areas of epidemiology, HIV testing, and public subsidies for HIV/AIDS education and AIDS-related medical research. Finally, it discusses the impact of these inequalities on safe-sex negotiations in the case of the US low-income bi/heterosexual women, especially women of color, for whom AIDS is now the leading cause of death.

Suggested Citation

  • Kimberly Christensen, 1998. "Economics Without Money; Sex Without Gender: A Critique of Philipson and Posner's "Private Choices and Public Health: The AIDS Epidemic in an Economic Perspective"," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(2), pages 1-24.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:femeco:v:4:y:1998:i:2:p:1-24
    DOI: 10.1080/135457098338400
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Becker, Gary S & Grossman, Michael & Murphy, Kevin M, 1991. "Rational Addiction and the Effect of Price on Consumption," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(2), pages 237-241, May.
    2. Anderson, Robert M, 1993. "EP Seeks EP: A Review of Sex and Reason by Richard A. Posner," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 31(1), pages 191-198, March.
    3. Becker, Gary S & Murphy, Kevin M, 1988. "A Theory of Rational Addiction," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 96(4), pages 675-700, August.
    4. Ferber, Marianne A. & Nelson, Julie A. (ed.), 1993. "Beyond Economic Man," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226242019, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Andréa Mannberg, 2012. "Risky Sex in a Risky World: Sexual Behavior in an HIV/AIDS Environment," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 114(2), pages 296-322, June.
    2. Gerritzen, Berit C., 2014. "Intra-Household Bargaining Power and HIV Prevention: Empirical Evidence from Married Couples in Rural Malawi," Economics Working Paper Series 1408, University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science.
    3. Ushma Upadhyay, 2000. "India's New Economic Policy of 1991 and its Impact on Women's Poverty and AIDS," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(3), pages 105-122.
    4. Kimberley Christensen, 2001. ""Thank God . . . I Thought for a Moment You Were Going to Confess to Converting to Socialism!": Gender and Identity in Deirdre McCLoskey's Crossing," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 105-120.

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