Economics professor publishes guidebook on incorporating gender into economics education

Sarah Small, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics in the University of New England’s College of Business, is co-author on a recently published book exploring gender disparities in business education and best practices for incorporating evidence-informed strategies in the classroom.

The new book, “A Guide to Incorporating Gender into the Teaching of Economics,” was published Oct. 10  and was written in collaboration with Jacqueline Strenio, Ph.D. (Norwich University), Laura Beltrán Figueroa, Ph.D. (Rutgers University), and Odile Mackett, Ph.D. (University of Johannesburg, South Africa).

According to the publisher, Edward Elgar Publishing, the publication responds to the persistent gender disparity in economics by addressing the need for gender-aware content and feminist pedagogy in economics education. 

By highlighting the urgency of adopting a gender-conscious lens and outlining practical, evidence-informed strategies to bring gender into the economics classroom, the book ultimately examines the impact of power and hierarchy on what is taught, whose work is centered, and how students experience the economics classroom.

Small said she was excited to bring the book to her students as UNE’s economics major continues to grow in both scope and scale.

“This semester, my students have questions about timely issues, like reasons for men’s declining participation in the labor force or how AI will influence care-related jobs traditionally done by women,” Small remarked. “I hope the book helps equip economics faculty around the world to bring students answers to these questions and to share what we’re teaching here at UNE: that economics is for everyone.”

Small’s research is in feminist economics and focuses on a variety of topics including caring labor, public policy, history of economic thought, methodology, and pedagogy. She has published in journals such as World Development, Feminist Economics, Housing Policy Debate, Review of Political Economy, Journal of Economics Education, Review of Social Economy, and History of Political Economy, among others.

Small has been featured in media outlets such as Marketplace on NPR, Business Insider, Yahoo! Finance, KCPW Salt Lake Public Radio, and New Jersey Business Magazine. She most recently broke down the impacts of new tariffs on Canadian goods and U.S. exports to Canada on Maine’s NBC affiliate, NEWS CENTER Maine.

“A Guide to Incorporating Gender into the Teaching of Economics” has already received critical acclaim from economics instructors across the globe. 

Marcella Corsi, Ph.D., a professor of economics at Sapienza University of Rome remarked, “I deeply appreciate the way this book demonstrates how feminist pedagogy in economics can redefine the role of students as collaborators and foster a deeper engagement with real-world social and economic inequalities.”

The book is available for purchase through Edward Elgar Publishing and Amazon.