Can Gender Economics Courses Attract More Undergraduate Women to Economics Departments?

Teresa Perry () and Sarah F. Small ()
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Teresa Perry: California State University San Bernardino, Department of Economics
Sarah F. Small: University of Utah, Department of Economics

A chapter in Missing Voices in Economics, 2026, pp 155-171 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter explores the underrepresentation of women in the economics discipline. It proposes that an undergraduate introductory course focused on economics and gender may attract a more diverse group of majors than conventional economics classes. Using registrar data from Colorado State University, where an introductory Gender in the Economy class is offered, it investigates the relationship between enrollment in this course and the likelihood of undergraduate women taking additional economics courses. The findings indicate that the Gender in the Economy class effectively creates interest in economics for both male and female undergraduates. These results suggest that a gender-aware economics curriculum can increase interest and retention among undergraduates, particularly among underrepresented populations, by offering a broader representation of economic actors and focusing on issues of inequality and social policy.

Keywords: Undergraduate courses; Women economists; Gender and the economy; Introductory courses; Gender (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-97180-8_8

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