Pioneering Feminist Economics: Barbara Bergmann’s Contributions to Gender Issues

Barbara Bergmann’s exploration of gender issues, especially the intra-house division of labor and marriage theory, was a central focus in early feminist economics (1970–1980s). Trained in mathematics and economics, she initially examined race and gender-based occupational segregation. Her scrutiny of gender inequality in the labor market led her to investigate resource distribution within families and spousal labor division, rejecting Becker’s New Home Economics. This paper has a twofold aim: First, showcasing Bergmann’s impact on intra-house power dynamics, primarily critiquing Becker's neoclassical approach; second, revealing her feminist agenda through lesser-known materials, whether unpublished or in the popular press.