Honoring Elinor Ostrom, the first woman to win a Nobel in Economic Sciences
Elinor Ostrom (1933–2012) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2009 “for her analysis of economic governance, especially the commons.” She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.
As a political scientist Elinor Ostrom’s research methods differed from how most economists work. Usually they start with a hypothesis, an assumption of reality, which is then put to the test. Elinor Ostrom started with an actual reality instead. She gathered information through field studies and then analyzed this material. In her book ‘Governing the Commons’ from 1990, she demonstrated how common property can be successfully managed by user associations and that economic analysis can shed light on most forms of social organization. Her research had great impact amongst political scientists and economists.”
— Nobel Prize website
