A Healthy Economy Should Be Designed to Thrive, Not Grow

Provided by: TED |Published on: November 19, 2021

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Synopsis

In this video, Kate Raworth outlines her theory of doughnut economics.
The central idea of doughnut economics involves a shift in mindset where humans thrive within ecological boundaries rather than striving for continuous economic growth.

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Subjects: Economics, Civics

Authors: Kate Raworth

Region: Global

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

This video illustrates a powerful vision of stabilizing resource consumption and distribution that could be regenerative to economies, people, and the planet.
Students will be inspired to imagine the world differently.

Prerequisites

Students need a very basic understanding of consumerism and economic growth, along with how both can impact the ecological environment, to get the most out of this video.

Differentiation & Implementation

Extension activities that invite student redesign of commodity exchange, healthcare, marketing, and economic measurements can be incorporated as part of an activity that features this video as the centerpiece.
There are so many opportunities to differentiate the use of this video depending on how you design and structure the learning activities that accompany it. Here are a few ideas:
- Activate Student Thinking: Allow students to contemplate and share examples of people who may be addicted to consumerism. Ask them for evidence that the following notion may be specifically embedded in our social environments: We can transform ourselves by buying something new.
- Student Design Opportunities: If publicly traded companies are under constant pressure to achieve economic growth to appease shareholders, how might a redesign of an economic system shift that pressure?
- Student Messaging Opportunities: Many politicians want the benefits of raising tax revenue without the negative press of raising taxes, so they look to a growing GDP as a means to accomplish that. Challenge students to develop messaging around raising taxes that may not be viewed as automatically negative.
This video can also spark a discussion about the importance of operating within the bounds of the planet, not just to maintain the resources but also to maintain the climate.

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A Healthy Economy Should Be Designed to Thrive, Not Grow

Synopsis

Teaching Materials

Scientist Reviewed

Related Teaching Resources