IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/her/chedps/33.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

"Unorthodox, troublesome, dangerous and disobedient": a feminist perspective on health economics, CHERE Discussion Paper No 33

Author

Listed:
  • Jane Hall

    (CHERE, University of Technology, Sydney)

Abstract

Feminist theory has developed to explore the links between the social construction of scientific disciplines and the social construction of gender (Ferber and Nelson, 1993). The critique of economic theory is a more recent application of feminist theory. Many feminist economists have examined issues of gender bias within neoclassical economics. It is the aim of this discussion paper to outline this feminist critique of economics, particularly neoclassical economics, and to discuss its relevance to health economics. The feminist critique is relevant to health economics for a number of reasons. Health economics draws upon theories developed in other areas of economics such as finance and insurance, industrial organisation, labour and public finance. Therefore, many of the gender related criticisms applied to the discipline of economics can be extended to health economics. It is also relevant simply because women represent the main labour force within health , are the majority of unpaid producers of health care and health, and are the principal consumers of market provided health care. The paper examines how three key assumptions in neoclassical economics have been applied in health economics: the idea of the separative self, the single maximand and the benchmark of perfect competition. It is argued that while the idea of market failure is more central to health economics than to other areas of economics, these key assumptions are evident in the work of health economists, and have implications for androcentric bias in the sub-discipline. The implications of these assumptions are investigated for one of the major areas of work in health economics - that of economic evaluation of health care interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Jane Hall, 1997. ""Unorthodox, troublesome, dangerous and disobedient": a feminist perspective on health economics, CHERE Discussion Paper No 33," Discussion Papers 33, CHERE, University of Technology, Sydney.
    • Handle: RePEc:her:chedps:33
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.chere.uts.edu.au/pdf/dp33.pdf
    File Function: First version, 1997
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Groenewegen, Peter D. & King, Susan, 1994. "Women as Producers of Economic Articles: A Statistical Assessment of the Nature and the Extent of Female Participation in Five British and North American Journals 1900-39," Working Papers 201, University of Sydney, School of Economics.
    2. Debreu, Gerard, 1991. "The Mathematization of Economic Theory," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(1), pages 1-7, March.
    3. Evans, R.G. & Stoddart, G.L., 1990. "Producing Health, Consuming Health Care," Centre for Health Services and Policy Research 90:13r, University of British Columbia - Centre for Health Services and Policy Research..
    4. R Evans & G Stoddart, 1990. "Producing Health, Consuming Health Care," Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis Working Paper Series 1990-06, Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (CHEPA), McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
    5. Sugden, Robert, 1982. "On the Economics of Philanthropy," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 92(366), pages 341-350, June.
    6. Culyer, A J, 1989. "The Normative Economics of Health Care Finance and Provision," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 5(1), pages 34-58, Spring.
    7. Gwendolyn C. Morrison & Marlene Gyldmark, 1992. "Appraising the use of contingent valuation," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 1(4), pages 233-243, December.
    8. repec:ucp:bknber:9780226740867 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. A Gafni, 1990. "Using Willingness-to-pay as a Measure of Benefits: What is the Relevant Question to Ask in the Context of Public Decision Making About Health Care Programs?," Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis Working Paper Series 1990-15, Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (CHEPA), McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
    10. Woolley, Frances R, 1993. "The Feminist Challenge to Neoclassical Economics," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 17(4), pages 485-500, December.
    11. Evans, Robert G. & Stoddart, Gregory L., 1990. "Producing health, consuming health care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 31(12), pages 1347-1363, January.
    12. Sen, Amartya, 1991. "Welfare, preference and freedom," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 50(1-2), pages 15-29, October.
    13. 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, January.
    14. Stigler, George J & Becker, Gary S, 1977. "De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(2), pages 76-90, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fabio Pammolli & Francesco Porcelli & Francesco Vidoli & Monica Auteri & Guido Borà, 2017. "La spesa sanitaria delle Regioni in Italia - Saniregio2017," Working Papers CERM 01-2017, Competitività, Regole, Mercati (CERM).
    2. Melanie Levy, 2022. "The rise of the Swiss regulatory healthcare state: On preserving the just in the quest for the better (or less expensive?)," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(2), pages 427-447, April.
    3. Bryant, Toba & Raphael, Dennis & Schrecker, Ted & Labonte, Ronald, 2011. "Canada: A land of missed opportunity for addressing the social determinants of health," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(1), pages 44-58, June.
    4. Coast, Joanna, 2018. "A history that goes hand in hand: Reflections on the development of health economics and the role played by Social Science & Medicine, 1967–2017," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 227-232.
    5. Jacklin, Kristen, 2009. "Diversity within: Deconstructing Aboriginal community health in Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(5), pages 980-989, March.
    6. Shahin Shooshtari & Carol Harvey & Evelyn Ferguson & Tuula Heinonen & Syeed Khan, 2014. "Effects of Remittance Behavior on the Lives of Recent Immigrants to Canada from the Philippines: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 95-105, March.
    7. Chia-Mei Shih & Yu-Hua Wang & Li-Fan Liu & Jung-Hua Wu, 2020. "Profile of Long-Term Care Recipients Receiving Home and Community-Based Services and the Factors That Influence Utilization in Taiwan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-15, April.
    8. Christine Le Clainche & Sandy Tubeuf, 2016. "Nudging, intervening or rewarding," Politics, Philosophy & Economics, , vol. 15(2), pages 170-189, May.
    9. Huguet, Nathalie & Kaplan, Mark S. & Feeny, David, 2008. "Socioeconomic status and health-related quality of life among elderly people: Results from the Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(4), pages 803-810, February.
    10. Daniela Adam & Theresa Keller & Axel Mühlbacher & Maximilian Hinse & Katja Icke & Michael Teut & Benno Brinkhaus & Thomas Reinhold, 2019. "The Value of Treatment Processes in Germany: A Discrete Choice Experiment on Patient Preferences in Complementary and Conventional Medicine," The Patient: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Springer;International Academy of Health Preference Research, vol. 12(3), pages 349-360, June.
    11. Klavus, Jan & Hakkinen, Unto, 1996. "Health care and income distribution in Finland," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 31-43, October.
    12. Grembowski, David & Bekemeier, Betty & Conrad, Douglas & Kreuter, William, 2010. "Are local health department expenditures related to racial disparities in mortality?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(12), pages 2057-2065, December.
    13. Pagliccia, Nino & Spiegel, Jerry & Alegret, Milagros & Bonet, Mariano & Martinez, Barbara & Yassi, Annalee, 2010. "Network analysis as a tool to assess the intersectoral management of health determinants at the local level: A report from an exploratory study of two Cuban municipalities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 394-399, July.
    14. Roudi Nazarinia Roy & Anthony G. James & Tiffany L. Brown, 2021. "Racial/Ethnic Minority Families," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 84-100, July.
    15. Struijs, Jeroen N. & Drewes, Hanneke W. & Heijink, Richard & Baan, Caroline A., 2015. "How to evaluate population management? Transforming the Care Continuum Alliance population health guide toward a broadly applicable analytical framework," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(4), pages 522-529.
    16. Nazmi Sari, 2009. "Physical inactivity and its impact on healthcare utilization," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(8), pages 885-901, August.
    17. Barbara J. Payne & Joan Dawe & Robert G. Evans & Victor W. Marshall & Philippa J. Clarke & Douglas Norris & Janet Hagey & Evelyn Shapiro & Russell Wilkins & Betty Havens, 1997. "Healthy Aging: Insights for Research and Policy," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 23(s1), pages 42-52, Spring.
    18. Eilbert, Kay W. & Lafronza, Vincent, 2005. "Working together for community health--a model and case studies," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 185-199, May.
    19. Cumming, Jacqueline & Scott, Claudia D., 1998. "The role of outputs and outcomes in purchaser accountability: reflecting on New Zealand experiences," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 53-68, October.
    20. Asada, Yukiko & Grignon, Michel & Hurley, Jeremiah & Kirkland, Susan, 2020. "Cautionary tails of grip strength in health inequality studies: An analysis from the Canadian longitudinal study on aging," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Feminist thoery; health economics;

    JEL classification:

    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:her:chedps:33. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Liz Chinchen (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/chusyau.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.