Feminist socio-economics: a strand of thought to be ?

Feminism and third sector theory (TST) theory have not met often but this is probably going to change. The aim of this paper is to assess the literature dealing with feminist and third sector issues from the perspective of its... [ view full abstract ]

Feminism and third sector theory (TST) theory have not met often but this is probably going to change. The aim of this paper is to assess the literature dealing with feminist and third sector issues from the perspective of its added-value to a feminist socio-economics. It looks through the literature covering gender and TSO and examines the different points of encounters in this (yet) un-unified but expanding strand of thought. The paper identifies some milestones and suggests further developments.

1.The fundamental but limited contribution of Feminist Economics (FE)

Feminist economists addressing the economic science have left non-orthodox models of economy for a long time outside their critical approach. In the 80’s and 90’s, feminists started to deconstruct the classical economic paradigm (CEP). This led to an heterogeneous ensemble, inclusive of both an anti- and a pro- perspective. The latter, reformist from within the CEP, considers that « economic agents can be male or female, and they interact in families as well as in firms and in markets. (…) These two facts must be explicitely included for the analysis to be valid » (Jacobson, 2007 :3). The more radical perspective is preoccupied by the measure of the « real value » of things (time, work, care ) and wants to « change the system » (Schonpflug, 2008 : 120).

There is still no consensus on what is FE but it can be said that it has 1) put women’s emancipation from family at the center of questioning 2) highlighted the masculine bias in economics (dominated by white bourgeois men and their sole experience) (Folbre 1986, 2009 ; Elson, 1991, Ferber and Nelson 1993 ; Beneria 1995) 3) examined how capitalism operates specifically on women (Waring 1988 ; Sassen, 1991, Picchio 1992) with particular attention to the State-Market nexus. It is only in the years 2000 that FE started to consider TSO seriously. Until the 1990’s, they were still considered by reformist feminists as neither State nor Market and, by radicals, as « little fingers » operating for the State (Nyland 1993).

2.A stunning evidence : the over-representation of women in TSO

The first move towards cross-fertilisation of women and third sector issues happened through the debate on the over-representation of women in TSO (Teasdale et al, 2010) but not necessarily in a feminist perspective. Reasons for women’s outstanding commitment in SE are articulated around 1) their “stronger pro-social preferences” (Themudo 2009, Hakim 2000), 2) their altruism (Guérin 2003), (3) their own “caring experience” (Pilcher 1999, Harris et al. 2003).

3.Pioneer studies : identifying women’s interest in TSO

After a period of relative ignorance on both sides, feminist activists agreed on the fact that feminism and TSO have « something » in common. In view of the development of "theories for action", feminist activists got interested in TSO as a field of action and (critical) analysis. On the basis of a litterature situating TSO in a social economy (SE) producing economic value and social change, new questions were raised about the contribution of ES to women’s emancipation or, on the contrary, to the reproduction of patriarchal norms. This led to a series of research within FE. SE initiatives are now considered, in many ways, of great interest for women 1) they are closely linked to social movements and collective action, thus providing an opportunity for women’ social demands to be supported beyond feminism, 2) they create public proximity spaces (Fraisse 2007, Guérin 2007) of promotion of self-confidence and political awareness. In various ways, they are the embodiment of the feminist moto "the personal is political " ( Nyland 1995 : 51).

4.Sketching the future. Social innovation as an emergent category of analysis for social change favorable to women

Social innovation (SI) becomes a widespread concept in social economy studies and it has an important potential to become a tool for a feminist socio-economics. « SI are, in a significant way, new and disruptive towards the routines and structures prevailing in a given (welfare) system or local setting” (Evers, Ewert et Brandsen 2014, p. 11). The critical question to handle in the future might be, from a FE perspective, whether these new and disruptive practices are effectively ‘innovative’ and ‘social’ ‘for women’.