Gender Related Perspectives In The Study Of Political Economy (Essay Sample)

Gendering the Study of Political Economy
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An economic analysis based on market players has embraced the study of political economy. The danger being the creation of a gap between the commercial world and the human life. The separation allows for distortion in economic issues as human life influence the occurrence of real world problems. In the quest to study the global markets, International Political Economy (IPE) incorporates aspects of social reproduction and household in creating an economically viable world. Thus, this paper primary discusses the issue of gendering the study of political economy.
Gendered IPE entails the incorporation of women and men socio-economic issues arising from their unequal structural position in society (Browne 2014). The feminist advocates and gender researchers have long pressured the involvement of certain aspects of social reproduction, care economy and with the political arena in achieving a sustainable economy. Hence, gendering IPE aims at suppressing the mainstream economics such as the neoclassical’ negligence of gender issues in economic quantifications and analysis. The feminists concern lies on the masculinist bias in labour markets and the diversity inherent between men and women as household players. For instance, Malawi’s mining sector policy is gender insensitive (Tilitonse 2013). Economics has focused on utility maximization under the constraints such as income ignoring the essence of gender as a factor of political economy in social reproduction. With globalization, the scope of capitalism has widened with gendered social relations that reflect on structures of production and exchange of goods. It is never a mere framework of economics and push for neo-liberalism as gender scholars influence gendering of the political economy.
Incorporation of gender in political economy involves assessing power-relational differences between men and women and their influence in positions of governance (Oatley 2013, p. 59). Also, it includes the societal gender roles and women representation in a country. For instance, racial inequalities, gender discrimination and institutionalization of gender should form part of Malaysia’s economic analysis. Firms in the country employ vulnerable female migrants paying them lower wages than men (Griffin 2007, p. 723). Further, the bureaucratic systems in states require gendering to steer gender equality on all societal production. Thus, gendering political economy processes mean effective resource and labour allocation, capitalist accumulation and the revelation of overt sexism.
Expanding inequalities with increased resource polarization have long triggered the economic relations among countries. Policies and masculinist way of thinking dominating the economic theorization with growth over-reliant and de-contextualization over sustainability of human beings. Feminists argue that issues of discrimination, class stratification, poverty, and other inequalities are dominant in societies due to poor integration of gender-based issues in structural systems (Hoskyns & Rai 2005, p. 7). Thus, the importance of gendering political economy to curb economic de-valorisation. Additionally, gendering IPE enhances the flexibility of labour markets (trade li...