As part of the American Economic Association’s papers and proceedings from May 2018 Betsey Stevenson and Hanna Zlotnick reports on “Representations of Men and Women in Introductory Economics Textbooks.”
Abstract: This paper examines the frequency and ways in which men and women appear in principles of economics textbooks. Men account for more than 90 percent of business leaders, policymakers, and economists mentioned in textbooks. In addition, women are a minority of the fictionalized people appearing in textbooks and a minority of celebrities. Fictionalized women are shown taking fewer actions and are more likely to be involved in food, fashion, or household tasks, while men are more likely both to be in leadership positions and in business or policy.