Shows
The Pinkonomics PodcastEp. 6: Household Bargaining, Pt. 2: Cailin O’ Connor on Evolutionary Game Theory and the Gendered Division of Household LaborEvolutionary game theory studies the repetition of strategies and choices over time, such that some strategies emerge as more successful in a society than others. It can also explain how cultural norms and beliefs evolve when players — society members — pick certain strategies again and again. Cailin O’ Connor is here this week to discuss her work on evolutionary game theory and the origins of inequity, specifically in the context of the gendered division of household labor.
We primarily talk about her book The Origins of Unfairness (2019), which uses game theory to explain the use of social categories – in parti...2024-08-1753 minThe Pinkonomics PodcastBONUS: The Gender Disparity in Startup Funding, Venture Capital, Going Viral, and More ft. Startup Guy RaymondA bonus, informal, explicit (!) episode of The Pinkonomics Podcast! This is the first episode featuring a guest from outside academia. Raymond is a tech startup founder (and my friend) who insisted on coming on the show to demonstrate what good audio sounds like and how to go viral.
We discuss feminist economics, startups, Raymond’s experiences funding and establishing his own startup, and why women are less likely to found companies and get less funding for their companies if they do. We also argued about whether or not “feminist content” should be entertaining, and about being right and nu...2024-07-1856 minThe Pinkonomics PodcastEp. 5: Household Bargaining, Pt. 1: Game Theory, Cooperative Conflicts, and Bargaining ModelsNow that we’ve established all models are wrong, let’s discuss some models!
Game theory is the study of strategy in social interactions. It’s very useful for assessing (heterosexual) household inequality — and for developing strategic responses to that inequality.
There are two episodes on household bargaining, and in this first part I cover simple Nash bargaining models, and Amartya Sen’s household bargaining model from his 1990 paper “Gender and Cooperative Conflicts”.
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction
00:03:46 Game Theory, Battle of the Sexes, and Why Strategy Is a Good Thing
0...2024-07-0919 minThe Pinkonomics PodcastEp. 4: All Models Are Wrong, but Economic Models Are Especially Wrong: Notes on Objective Knowledge and What (Feminist) Economics Even IsThe next two episodes are about game theory and bargaining models (and economists looooove talking about models), so I thought I’d spend this episode telling you how scientific models work, why they’re all wrong, and why economic models are especially prone to error. I also talk about Catharine MacKinnon’s feminist method, and why a feminist economics grounded in the personal lives and experiences of women is one way to counter the erroneousness of economic models, which are heavily informed by the personal experiences and opinions of men.
References
Box, G. E. P. “...2024-07-0215 minThe Pinkonomics PodcastEp. 3: Liz Karns on the Lifetime Economic Costs of Sexual Violence and MisconductWhen most of us think of the impact of sexual violence, we think of the physical or psychological pain and trauma caused by the incident — but rarely of the economic costs that the victim then has to bear for the rest of their life. And this is exactly Liz Karns’ area of research.
Karns is a lawyer and epidemiologist whose practice involves applying statistical methods to legal problems such as sexual assault damages, and occupational and environmental injuries. She holds a BA in Economics from Reed College, an MPH in Epidemiology from Rutgers University, and a JD from...2024-06-2430 minThe Pinkonomics PodcastEp. 2: Is Thinness Economically Rational? Cato Benschop on Eating Disorders and the Pursuit of ThinnessTW: Thinness, Pursuit of Thinness, Eating Disorders, Eating Behaviors
According to The Economist, it is economically rational for women to pursue thinness. I invite my friend Cato Benschop to examine this argument and discuss her views on the pursuit of thinness and eating disorders. We also ask whether or not it’s worth it for women to spend their time on this goal. What Cato does best is use philosophical perspectives to provide some conceptual clarity around eating disorders, and she has a simultaneously bold and empowering take here, that eating disorders are extreme versions of...2024-06-1548 minThe Pinkonomics PodcastEp. 1: What We Get Wrong about Adam Smith, The Invisible Hand, and Self-InterestAdam Smith's 'Invisible Hand' theory has dominated our understanding of economic behavior for centuries. But we don't understand Smith very well -- and we don't understand the choices of women very well, especially when it comes to the fulfilment of self-interest.
References
Smith, Adam. The Theory of Moral Sentiments, with an introduction by Amartya Sen and notes by Ryan Patrick Hanley. Penguin, 2009.
Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations Books I–III. Edited with an introduction and notes by Andrew Skinner. Penguin, 1999.
Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations Books IV–V. Ed...2024-06-0715 min
The Pinkonomics PodcastThe Pinkonomics Podcast: TrailerIntroducing The Pinkonomics Podcast, a summer 2024 project by Arundhati Singh.
Cover art by Cato Benschop (IG: @catobenschop).
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2024-06-0703 min