Theory and politics: lessons from feminist economics.

The article reviews recent developments in feminist economic thought and suggests how the approach taken by a group of feminist economists towards reforming economics may be applicable to reform of the discipline of accounting. The author opines that the consideration of feminist critique of economics should be of interest to accountants for several reasons. The main reason is that, at least in the U.S., the discipline of accounting is largely based on neoclassical economic models, theories and practices. This is particularly true of financial accounting research based on financial economic models. The article explains that much of accounting, underpinned by neoclassical economics, fails to recognize the plurality of human concerns. The author notes that the dissemination of critical accounting has been slow, a tardiness that some critics attribute to its failure to develop a single best critical theory. In contrast, it is argued that various critical accountings should be seen as complementary. It is suggested that this approach would encourage a rich conversation and at the same time help to identify terrains for engagement.