Reading Questions and Discussions for Chapter 1
A set of reading questions (there are more coming) for people wanting to read together and discuss the key ideas
1. Why is GDP the cuckoo in the economic nest?
3. How did John Stuart Mill redefine the earlier broader social definitions of political economy from Adam Smith and James Steuart?
4. How is the common idea of economics as the science of behaviour contradicted by mainstream economics?
5. In what way is 'utility' and its definition a poor basis for human behaviour and growth?
6. Has economics teaching (micro and macro economics) changed relative to understanding development?
7. What did Okun's Law and GNP lack as a panacea for development?
8. How does the upward curve of GDP growth fit the 'Metaphors We Live By' (Lakoff and Johnson, 1980)?
9. Why would Kuznets not have chosen and upward curve or GNP as measure of national welfare?
10. How did Donella Meadows (the influential systems thinker) describe GNP growth?
11. Post the 2008 GFC how have politicians tried to prop up growth and make it palatable?
12. How has the disappearace of traditional political economy created a moral vacancy? (Michael Sandel)
13. How is the work of Amartya Sen a culmination of Jean Sismondi, John Ruskin, E.F Schumacher, and others?
14. What enables human beings to thrive?
15. Can you explain the doughnut boundaries and concepts?
16. What is the Great Acceleration? What have been its ecological and economic effects? (Will Steffen)
17. How does the Anthropocene differ from the Holocene?
18. What five factors will influence progress? Any others?
19. What kind of governance do you think will matter for progress in specific areas?
20. How does this relate to me?
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Cassia Moraes
São Paulo, Brazil
Cassia is the Founder and CEO of Youth Climate Leaders, a social enterprise that trains and connects young people with networks and opportunities to start their careers as climate leaders. She is also member of the Regional Coordinating Committee (LatAm), UNDRR’s MCR2030 initiative: cities and climate change. Cassia has experience working on sustainable development and international cooperation in the public, private and third sectors. Previously, she has served as Deputy Executive Coordinator at the Brazilian Forum on Climate Change, and worked as consultant at CIVICUS, UNDP and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). Cassia holds a MPA in Development Practice degree from Columbia University.
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Natalia van der Wee
Utrecht, The Netherlands
I'm an educational management professional. Currently I'm contributing to the better future of the world working at MasterPeace foundation. As a member of the so called Core Team, I develop innovative educational products for Non-formal education on topics of peace building, sustainability, art for social change. Interested in #wholechilddevelopment and #gamification in education.
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Alexandra Cook
London, England, United Kingdom
I am a secondary school teacher (Geography Ages 11+ - GCSE, Politics A-level) holding a BA International Politics. I'd like to incorporate doughnut economics into my curriculum and ensure students have a clear picture of economic systems and their impact before they leave school. Want to help stimulate a move towards a circular, inclusive economy, and do my part to help our society respond to a clear climate crisis in the 21st Century. Keen to collaborate with other educators.
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Peter Dillon
Leyland, UK
Interested in rewilding the soul, soil and society
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Sarah R. Filley
Whitehall, Michigan, United States of America
As an artist and social entrepreneur, I contribute to projects and collaborations committed to catalyzing inclusive, equitable, and strategic climate solutions for the future of regenerative cities. Incorporating Strategic Foresight and regenerative models at various scales of civic, policy, government, and community is an emerging area of praxis for a new venture, Regenerative Futurists, to engineer civic strategies for prosperity. Previous roles include Co-Founder of the internationally recognized Popuphood in Oakland, CA, a social impact firm, and Senior EDI consultant and advisor co-lead Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion strategies in transformational organizational change in Los Angeles, CA. Prosperity Forest is a 1 acre West Michigan pilot on the shore of Lake Michigan prototyping climate solutions at neighborhood scale while befriending foxes, building hugels, planting Native pollinators, and contributing to local climate initiatives.
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V Robinson
Yate, England, United Kingdom
I want to develop an Educational collaborative game that will encourage thinking/action to promote the building of Earth-friendly economic systems.
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Stéphanie Gauthier
Les Houches, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Teacher in economics and management, I am committed to resilience in the Mont Blanc valley
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ELENA PIANI
Firenze, Toscana, Italia
Sustainability facilitator, specific areas include circular economy, diversity & inclusion, soft skills, marketing communications event and campaign development, internal communications and employee engagement, identity (vision, mission, values - developing purpose), stakeholder engagement, sustainable cities & communities, health & wellbeing, corporate social responsibility.
