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Caroline Gerschlager, Monika Mokre
Call for Papers:
19th Women's Conference
at the Vienna University for Economics and Business Administration
Women in the Exchange Society
(Self-)Deception and Other Imponderables
Vienna, June, 16th and 17th, 2000
The conviction that societies are based on principles of exchange
is deeply rooted in modern self-understanding. The outstanding
importance those societies attribute to exchange in the
commercial sense is perhaps the most obvious evidence for the
truth of this statement. However, exchange cannot be reduced to
the economic sphere as such (the market), but has to be regarded
as fundamental for the modern understanding of social relations in
general. The continued interest in theories of exchange also
outside the field of economics proper is an important sign of this
phenomenon ("reciprocity", "rational choice").
Against this background, the exchange society concept
constitutes the setting and theoretical framework for the problem
upon which we will focus, that being the particular relation of
deception to exchange. The idea of this relation is in no way new:
Adam Smith, for example, the founder of political economy who
laid the theoretical fundamentals of exchange as a commercial
system, also gave illustrious examples of self-deception and
illusions in exchange. According to him, it "is deception which
rouses and keeps in continual motion the industry of mankind",
thus acknowledging the vital part that deception plays in the
functioning of his system in general. In doing so, Smith gave
special credit to what is often seen as a mere nuisance.
Assuming he was right and that illusions and self-deception have
found an ideal breeding ground in the functioning of the market
system, the question may be raised whether this is also true of
other forms of exchange. If illusion, false pretence, flattery,
persuasion and seduction, lies and deceit, whispers, posturing,
wearing a mask, hiding behind conventions, playing a role for
others and for oneself are so much the rule among humans, it is
only likely that they are present in all forms of their exchanges.
This is why the further exploration of this relationship between
exchange and deception was chosen as the principal approach for
the conference.
The "Exchange society" has distinguished forms of social
exchange on the basis of their autonomy, by recognising their
liberation from the social context in general. This is why we have
decided to stress the problems of (self-)deception as they appear
in three areas of research which are characteristic in this respect:
the free market, the (autonomous) sciences and the (independent)
arts.
DECEPTION, SELF-DECEPTION and WOMEN
What is the reason for deception in exchange as seen from a
woman's perspective? In how far are the problems of deception
studied within the framework of exchange theories? Does the
conceptual framework of "exchange theories" help or hinder us to
in the exploration of the question of women and (self-)deception?
What does the concept of autonomy mean in the market, in
science and the arts with reference to gender questions? [e.g.:
Does the free (little or non-regulated) market help or hinder gender
equality? Is wealth gender neutral? Is money gender neutral?]
What forms of deception are particularly linked with women's
position in the "exchange society"? Are the rules of exchange
gender specific (i.e. masculine)? [e. g. How are women deceived
by the abstraction of power relations and gender inequality (what
about power relations and their influence on market values as well
as scientific or artistic success, unequal assessment of artistic
qualities, fraud and disregard of copyrights?)] Which strategies of
mediation (that is camouflage) are provoked by the presence of
women within the different fields of exchange?
What kind of manifest deceptions and self-deceptions between
women and men may be brought to the fore, when we look at
exchange and its functioning from our women's perspective? What
kind of illusions help or hinder women in the planning of their
individual career? (In which way does an image of possible
success influence individual developments (in a way similar to the
dreams of Adam Smith's "poor man's son")?
We thus invite women to submit proposals highlighting the concept
of exchange and its peculiar relationship to (self-)deception and
other imponderables while focussing their analysis on the market,
science and the arts.
Prospective participants should send an abstract not later than
April, 15th 2000. They will be informed of the decision of the paper
selection committee till May, 15th 2000.
If possible, we would ask you to send the abstract as an E-Mail-
attachment (Format: RTF) to Caroline Gerschlager: cgerschl@wu-
wien.ac.at or Monika Mokre: [log in to unmask]
Otherwise, we would need a floppy disk. Please, send proposals to:
Dr. Caroline Gerschlager
Institut fuer Volkswirtschaftslehre und Volkswirtschaftspolitik III
WU-Wien
Augasse 2-6
A-1090 Wien/Vienna
Phone: ++43 1 31 33 6 /4515
Fax: ++43 1 31 33 6/726
A publication of the conference papers is planned. For this reason
the participating women should bring a final version of their paper to
the workshop.
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