A Study on Harriet Martineau's Influence on Classical Economics and Its Contemporary Significance

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K03581
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Economic doctrine/Economic thought
• Research Institution: Musashi University
• Principal Investigator: Funaki Keiko 武蔵大学, 総合研究所, 研究員 (00409369)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 経済思想 / 女性労働 / フェミニズム / 古典派経済学 / プロト・フェミニスト

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study clarified the following points. (1) Martineau had already provided a discussion similar to Ricardo's machine theory (On Machinery:Chapter 31,3rd edition) at the time of Rioters (1827) before the Illustrations of Political Economy, which succeeded in popularizing classical economics. Contributions in economics are based not only on the spread of classical economics, but also on a unique view of labor. (2) Also, in this research, I found that the works read as travel literature in the previous research on Martineau had contents as industrial theory. (3) In Martineau's discussion on female labor, there are controversial elements of contemporary economics in the concept of "equal pay for equal work" and the value evaluation of women's reproduction activities.

Free Research Field

経済思想史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ヴィクトリア時代は産業化に伴い人々の暮らしや経済が大きく変化した時代である。特に女性の就業による社会的変化は、「女性問題」を生じさせたが、広く普及してきた古典派経済学にとってこの問題は対応の困難なものであり、発言権や立場が弱い女性たちの声は文筆家や教育者を通して主張された。本研究は市場化の中で、女性の経済的自立が経済発展をもたらす要素となることを早くから主張してきたハリエット・マーティノゥに注目し、その経済思想の全体像を分析することにより現代の女性労働論への展望を模索した。