The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance – Robin Wall Kimmerer
Nov 22, 2022
47:03
AI Summary
Highlights
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
Gift economies prioritize gratitude and kindness as the currency of exchange, fostering community bonds and well-being.
Ecological economics emphasizes sustainability, well-being, and the concept of wealth as having enough to share.
Deep dives
The Ethic of Reciprocity in the Gift of Economy
In this episode, Robin Wolkam explores the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift of economy as she harvests serviceberries alongside birds. She emphasizes the gratitude and kinship felt towards the berries and highlights their cultural importance with multiple names. Wolkam delves into the concept of gift economies, where wealth is measured by the ability to share and status is defined by how much one gives. She discusses the contrast between market economies based on scarcity and gift economies based on abundance, expressing her desire for a society where the currency of exchange is gratitude and kindness.
Ecological Economics: Integrating Human Values and Natural Systems
The episode features a conversation with ecological economist Dr. Valerie Lusidis. They discuss how ecological economics expands the conventional definition by integrating Earth's natural systems and human values. Lusidis highlights the need for economic systems that prioritize sustainability and well-being. The roots of economics and ecology in the Greek word oikos, meaning home or household, are explored. The importance of community well-being, reciprocity, and the notion of wealth being having enough to share are emphasized in ecological economics.
The Power of Gift Economics and Reciprocity
The episode examines the concept of gift economies and the power of gift thinking. The serviceberries are presented as a model of interdependence and co-evolution, where abundance is shared among different species. The currency of exchange in gift economies is gratitude and relationship rather than money. The episode discusses how gift economies nurture community bonds and enhance mutual well-being. It explores the potential for human economies to mimic natural systems and create systems of exchange that benefit both humans and the more-than-human world.
Moving Towards Reciprocal Local Economies
The episode explores the possibility of transitioning towards reciprocal local economies alongside market economies. The importance of valuing relationships, purpose, beauty, and meaning over possessions and accumulation is highlighted. The episode emphasizes the potential for intentional communities of mutual self-reliance and reciprocity, where wealth is defined by having enough to share. It advocates for economies that prioritize connection and community well-being over commodification and competition. The potential for a future economy that aligns with ecological principles and supports long-term sustainability is discussed.
As we look to an uncertain future, what systems of exchange might we embrace that support and deepen our interdependence? In this essay, Potawatomi scientist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, considering the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy.
Emergence Magazine, Vol 3: Living with the Unknown explores what living in an apocalyptic reality looks like through four themes: Initiation, Ashes, Roots, and Futures. Experience “Chapter Four: Futures.”
