Across the world, people are becoming increasingly concerned about the negative impact of our economic system on the environment and on increasing socio-political inequalities. One of the main contentions is that the way we think about our economy highlights only particular (financial) transactions, and ignores several underlying relationships on which the economy is built. For instance, cost-benefit analyses often leave out certain types of costs, which may be externalised to the environment, or to marginalised people. This seminar will use a number of case studies to discuss how groups across the world are re-envisioning their economies to highlight these heretofore invisible aspects of the economy. We will discuss how this shift in perspective causes changes in the way economic relationships are structured. We will also critically analyse the concept of value, in such a way as to go beyond the monetary and think of other ways in which we can begin to value objects, relationships and transactions.
divya.karnad@ashoka.edu.in