I'll Be Damned if We're Only Going to Rewrite Economics to Reflect Financial Reality in This Crisis

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I studied economics for four years, but then eventually walked away from the discipline because i found myself. whenever i met somebody, i never wanted to stick my hand out and say 'i'm an economist' So i became a generalist. I had no sense of disciplinary identity, and worked with un and worked with ox fam,. Became a mother of twins, immersed in ther unpaid care economy. And suddenly the world's financial markets collapse, and i'm hearing on the radio all thes economists saying, you know, we need to rewrite economics to reflect financial realities in this crisis. And i just thought, well, i'll be damned if we're only going to rewrite economics for that -

When Kate Raworth began studying economics, she was disappointed that the mainstream version of the discipline didn’t fully address many of the world issues that she wanted to tackle, such as human rights and environmental destruction. She left the field, but was inspired to jump back in after the financial crisis of 2008, when she saw an opportunity to introduce fresh perspectives. She sat down and drew a chart in the shape of a doughnut, which provided a way to think about our economic system while accounting for the impact to the world around us, as well as for humans’ baseline needs. Kate’s framing can teach us a lot about how to transform the economic model of the technology industry, helping us move from a system that values addicted, narcissistic, polarized humans to one that values healthy, loving and collaborative relationships. Her book, “Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist,” gives us a guide for transitioning from a 20th-century paradigm to an evolved 21st-century one that will address our existential-scale problems.