FACULTY
Dr. Elissa Braunstein
Assistant Professorelissa.braunstein@colostate.edu
C 310 Clark Building
970.491.5249
970.491.2925 Fax
Teaching Philosophy
Economics is the study of how we provision and reproduce ourselves as a society. And though its often quantitative and abstract methods seem to mask this essence, I believe that all aspects of economics can be understood from this “provisioning” perspective. When learning a theoretical model of international trade, for instance, it is essential to also understand the social and political contexts from which that model is drawn and to which it is applied, as well as what the model implies about the relationship between trade and the well-being of individuals and communities. From this perspective, studying economics also becomes a way for students to develop critical thinking and evaluation skills.
Research
In my research I focus on feminist analyses of international economics, with particular emphasis on the role of foreign direct investment in development. My current work involves understanding the impact of foreign investment on gender-based wage inequality in mainland China, the gender-differentiated employment impacts of deflationary monetary policy in developing countries, the linkages between trade liberalization and reproductive health and rights, and the impact of US state tax policy on women’s employment.
Recent Work
Trading Women’s Health & Rights? Trade Liberalization and Reproductive Health in Developing Countries. London and New York: Zed Books, 2006. (Co-edited with Caren Grown and Anju Malhotra)
“Women’s Work, Autonomy and Reproductive Health: The Role of Trade and Investment Liberalization.” In Caren Grown, Elissa Braunstein and Anju Malhotra (eds.) Trading Women’s Health & Rights? Trade Liberalization and Reproductive Health in Developing Countries. London and New York: Zed Books, 2006.
“Gender Bias and Central Bank Policy: Employment and Inflation Reduction.” GEM-IWG Working Paper No. 06-1, June 2006. (with James Heintz)
“Foreign Direct Investment and Wages in Urban China: The Differences Between Women and Men,” submitted to Feminist Economics, June 2006. (with Mark Brenner)
Foreign Direct Investment, Development and Gender Equity: A Review of Research and Policy. Occasional Paper Gender Policy 12. United Nations Research Institute for Development, January 2006.