By Erin Lennox and Rebecca Hollender This module considers the problems of environmental degradation and inequality in relation to growth-centric development. Perspectives on alternatives to growth along with related policies, practices and challenges are discussed to explain the need to limit economic activity to within the biophysical limits of the planet. The module features extensive […]
By Jonathan M. Harris, Brian Roach, Pratistha Joshi Rajkarnikar and Neva Goodwin This module, based on Chapter 17 of Macroeconomics in Context, discusses the future of economic growth in an era of ecological limits. It includes analysis of population growth, resources and pollution, and the climate crisis. Policies for a transition to sustainability and a “green” […]
By Brian Roach, Neva Goodwin and Julie A. Nelson This module presents material drawn from Chapter 8 of Microeconomics in Context, 5th edition, to explore the various motivations behind consumer behavior. The historical development of the “consumer society” is summarized, including a discussion of the institutions underlying mass consumerism. The relationship between consumption and well-being is surveyed, […]
By Neva Goodwin Decades ago, with the book Small is Beautiful, E. F. Schumacher popularized the idea of localization. He proposed that emphasizing local relationships in economic transactions between producers and consumers, workers and employers, can strengthen communities, creating both economic and social well-being. Over recent decades, Schumacher’s general idea has often been considered foundational […]
Dr. Pratistha Joshi Rajkarnikar, Associate Director of the Economics in Context Initiative, at Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center, has her research published in the Review of Economics of the Household. In her study, titled ‘Male Migration and Women’s Decision Making in Nepal’, Rajkarnikar examines the changes in women’s decision-making roles due to the foreign […]