Economics & Ecology
"Economics" thread through our systems and institutions as a set of defining principles which dictate outcomes. Emergent economic theory looks to living systems as a method to determine parameters, considering ecological and social health.
By studying economics, I find keys to challenge systems of oppression and power. In a time of disruption, I am inspired and hopeful as we redesign the way we live together on this precious planet. In order for us to learn from our ingenuity and interrupt cycles of harm, we must understand our human patterns, the rules we are currently working within, and the impact of our actions.
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We now begin to imagine possibilities for a thriving future. Vision is taking form.
Our solutions are social, work within nature's parameters, and are rooted in creative design.
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​Developed throughout 2019, Economics and Ecology: Emergent Approaches to Holistic Resource Management is a 300-level course offered through Western Washington University in 2020. The curriculum progresses from Neoclassical Economic theory, a deconstruction of History, Indigenous Studies, Participatory Design, Appropriate Technologies, and Ecological Literacy.
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
How do humans organize systems for accessing, allocating, and distributing resources in many different social, cultural, and ecological contexts worldwide? How do these systems impact both living standards for people and ecological health? Through this course, we investigate ways to meet human needs and goals within the boundaries of Earth’s living systems. We also address economic tensions inherent in issues of environmental and social governance. Via a combination of learning modalities (lecture, critical discussion, movement, small group work, visual media, reading) we will engage in dialectical conversation considering the pragmatic realities of Economics and the ecological boundaries we live within.
When Aristotle originally spoke of “economics”, he was referring to management of the individual household. In a shallow sense, Economics as a discipline is currently understood as the management of scarce resources at local and global scales. Acknowledging the urgency of environmentally-related crisis in this class, we consider the impact of current Economic systems on Earth’s “household”, assuming an alternative lens to economic designs. This radical orientation considers the complex and interconnected nature of all things, working toward holistic frameworks and methodologies to approach global change with systems thinking skills.
This course culminates with a workshop and presentation experience. This is a collaborative space of idea generation, intended to ground emerging theoretical principles in real-world actions and goals which impact future sustainability in the design of ecologically-bound economic systems and global development.
This is not a conventional Economics course nor is it an Environmental Studies course, though both disciplines are investigated in the course curriculum.
COURSE MATERIALS
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The Core: The Economy (free eBook)
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Ancient Futures | by Helen Norberg-Hodge (2016)
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Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist | by Kate Raworth (2018)
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Plus TONS of supplemental content provided from a variety of sources.​​​
In April 2020, Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies invited me to present on Economics in a Global Crisis for their World Issues Forum.
Click here to generate a text-based slideshow on this topic.
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