Chris Carbery

It is widely recognized among performativity focused economists and sociologists that contemporary mainstream economics continues to shape market infrastructure (Callon, 1998; MacKenzie, 2008). In this paper I focus on one key component in this performativity, the production and reproduction of the economic agent. I am particularly interested in the influence on the concept of rational self-interest and it is this that I intend to explore. The paper draws on a three year doctoral research project which tracks via semi-structured interviews a set of undergraduates’ attitudes to and understanding of the economic agent. I explore some familiar issues: does economics attract more self-interested individuals and/or does it influence students to become more so, perhaps crowding out more communal values and attitudes (Fine, 2017; Wrenn, 2017) and accepting also that the terms have multiple possible interpretations. As well as summarising a theory of performativity (Callon, 2009) the paper is positioned within a Polanyian (2001) framework. My goal is to assess the degree to which undergraduate economic knowledge of agency may be systematically formed through exposure to hegemonic microeconomic representations, curricula and pedagogy.

“Enacting the Dismal Science” (2016) has been a key text in emerging ‘conventional economics’ and this in turn speaks to the theory of social construction and performativity. In this paper I will be discussing the ideas of conventionalists as a point of departure to explore themes in social reproduction. My concerns, drawn from my thesis research, are concerned with the socialisation of those exposed to an economics education. Arguably, this involves a “double- hermeneutics.” The key component that my paper is focussed on is that of the economic agent as depicted in undergraduate economics study. My particular interest being the role of rational self-interest and its potential for social production/re-production in those studying undergraduate economics. This research being undertaken using semi-structured interviews over a three-year period that examines attitudes to and understanding of the economic agent. Situated within a Polanyian framework (Polanyi, 2001), the aim of this research is to assess the degree to which undergraduate students of economics of agency may be systemically formed through exposure to microeconomic representation. Social economics implicitly depends upon social construction and there is great scope to examine the differences between the ‘French Conventionalists’ and other traditions embedded in social economics as it continues to be re-defined in contemporary times.

A guest lecture given to International Trade students in Symbiosis university, Pune India.

The focus of this session is to suggest that the need for critical, challenging, and reflective students is currently at odds with the conception of many students, who view higher education as a financial investment. The role of the professional practitioner now needs to extend further to incorporate students need to ‘have’ to value the need to ‘be’. In accordance with previous research (Yorke & Longden, 2008, Mearman ‘et al’ 2014, Muddiman 2018) the rise of instrumentalism requires a coherent practitioner response. This session attempts to reflect upon the question “What should that response be?”

A vital component of the research process begins prior to design or analysis, that is how the influence of the researcher interprets the world and their role within it (Crotty, 1998; Howell, 2012; Creswell & Creswell, 2017; Denzin & Lincoln, 2018; Gray, 2021). That is not to state that researchers are bound within the research paradigm absolutely, however there are fundamental philosophical worldviews that inform research practice. Prior to undertaking the actual process of defining a research philosophy, design, and methods my philosophical worldview had to be both reflected upon and considered to fortify my approach to answering the research question posed. Subsequently informing both ontology, epistemology and axiology(Denzin & Lincoln, 2018). This presentation will reflect upon some of the difficulties encountered whilst designing my postgraduate research project concentrated upon the distinction between ‘subjectivism’ and ‘objectivism.’This leading to a position that when researching humanity the ‘objective/subjective’ divide ruptures (Sayer, 2017) requiring both evaluation and description.

The main research questions for this study were: • Has the position of women in SMEs been of interest in research? • What is the role of women working in SMEs? • Is scholarship on women in SMEs locally specific to certain areas of the world or is it international? If international, are there cultural differences between regions respective of the role of women in SMEs? SMEs: a large focus of economic policies, investment and development. What is the position of women? Can SMEs advance or reduce already existent gains in women’s rights?

Research continually shows that women face barriers and exclusions, however, the existing research seems to be mainly concentrated on organisations generally or corporations. This report analyses available research on women and SMEs in a period from 2000-2021. The analysis focuses on research published in women and gender journals. Thematic analysis has been conducted on 106 identified articles divided into two decades, 2000-2009 and 2010-2021. Findings show that barriers is the main theme that runs through existing research with women reporting societal, cultural and institutional barriers, as well as lack of confidence, a different approach to working and/or running businesses, masculinities and the lack of training and skills. The existing research is largely international and these themes run through the whole corpus of analysed research showing a global issue of women in SMEs, particularly women entrepreneurs.

This paper analyzes the literature on women and networking between 1985 and 2021 to explore what is known about networking and its effect on women, and what new research is needed on networking. The authors analyzed a total of 78 articles published in women's and gender studies journals. Thematic analysis and three-tier coding have been used in analyzing available articles. Findings reveal that organizational cultures did not change during the four decades of research as boys' clubs still exist and take men ahead much more than women's networks take women ahead. Old boys' clubs remain persistent and more powerful than women's networks and women do not report benefits from networking even when they engage with this, often-seen, masculine practice. Women also report exclusion from important professional networks and this is a theme that consistently runs through research, and additionally, many women cannot join networks due to the social expectation that women will look after families.

This report analyses literature on women and networking between 1985 and 2021, as published in women and gender studies journals. Authors analysed a total of 78 articles published in European Journal of Women’s Studies, Feminist Review, Women’s Studies International Forum, Feminist Theory, Gender & Society, Journal of Gender Studies, Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, Signs, Women Studies Quarterly, Feminist Economics, Gender in Management: An International Journal (previously called Women in Management Review,), Gender, Work & Organization, Feminist Studies, Hypatia and International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. Thematic analysis and three-tier coding have been used in analysing available articles. Findings reveal that organisational cultures did not change during the four decades of research as boys clubs still exist and take men ahead much more than women’s networks take women ahead. Old boys clubs remain persistent and more powerful than women’s networks and women do not report benefits from networking even when they engage with this, often seen, masculine practice. Women also report exclusion from important professional networks and this is a theme that consistently runs through research, and additionally, many women cannot join networks due to the social expectation that women will look after families. Networking thus presents a structural barrier and this is visible throughout decades of analysed research, with recurring and repeating themes of networking as a structural barrier, exclusion of women and persistent power and influence of old boys clubs.