Inclusivity in Economics: The Role of Herstories in Economic Thought

Abstract

The publication of Edith Kuiper’s book A Herstory of Economics (2022) brings non-traditional ideas to the core of historical discussions in economic thought. The volume sheds important light on neglected ‘herstories’ of economics, being one of the first to document the writings and ideas of excluded women economists. This review article offers a critical analysis of the book, building on three key themes that emerge from the processes of exclusion and production/circulation of ideas in economics: (i) the herstory of economics as a genre, and how it contributes to the dissemination of ideas from women economists; (ii) the conceptualisation of power in/outside economics and the barriers of exclusion that exist in the discipline; and (iii) the practices of diversification and inclusivity of women as economists. Through Kuiper’s historical analysis, I first discuss how the production of knowledge in economics has been built under exclusionary practices, namely epistemic, evaluative, and ideological. This is followed by the proposal of a three-fold alternative framework for an inclusive economics that builds on existing herstories, which includes elements of engaged pluralism; democracy of knowledge; and inclusivity as both a principle and a professional practice.