| Response sheet 21, in-class writing, Tuesday | |
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1. What is “the economy” supposed to do in American life? (I actually asked you this question when I asked you to interview your parents and/or grandparents about their economy in their time, compared to your economy in your time. The reason I asked is because the overarching cultural vision and social mission of an economy changes over time, as it certainly has in my lifetime.) 2. Who is imagined to be responsible to make “the economy” work in the way it supposedly should? 3. To what degree is “the economy” influenced by extra-local, extra-national factors? Let us be idealistic and say that the mission of an economy is to accomplish freedom, equality, and justice! Who is imagined to be responsible for justice in a global world? 4. What needs to change in order for the “the economy” to come closer to a better world? What kind of change? What degree of change? For instance, mainly to be less exclusionary and more inclusive? Or, transformed more fundamentally? 5. What enables “the economy”? What social functions are valorized as “economic” versus what are not? For instance, who does the laundry in a household? Who organizes birthday parties and summer camps for children? Who does the grocery shopping? |