Feminist economicus: popular feminism, popular finance, and the making of the economic woman in South Korea

This article examines the discursive construction of feminist economicus in South Korea, arguing that it has been shaped by the alliance of popular feminism and popular finance. As a form of neoliberal and entrepreneurial femininities, feminist economicus blends feminist thinking with the ideal of homo economicus by embracing both feminism and the norms of the capitalist economy. In order to illuminate how feminist economicus has emerged across different media spaces, I examine feminist manifestos, popular feminist discussions and debates on investing, financial advice books for women, and news reports about female investors. Feminist economicus is a subject who practices strategic frugality, is seen to invest better than men do, and assetizes herself. While feminist economicus integrates calculative rationality towards feminist ends in the name of women's economic independence, I contend that this shows how feminist discontent has been subsumed by financial capitalism and the asset economy. Feminist economicus dismantles the dichotomy of male rationality versus female irrationality in ways that reinforce capitalist identification and the legitimacy of finance. In so doing, patriarchy is simultaneously criticized and legitimated.