3.2.7 Reflection

Consider one or more of the following questions to reflect on at the end of Subtopic 3.2. Discuss with another student or in a small group, or record (written, audio, video) your response.

• Economic anthropologist Jason Hickel says that capitalism “works according to a simple, straightforward formula: take more, from labour and from nature, than you give back in return.” What does he mean by this? Is this a fair statement?

• Many religious, spiritual and community traditions have guidelines for people’s behaviour that emphasise generosity and care, rather than values about taking as much as you can from others which is what capitalism emphasises. Why do you think that our economic system is allowed to continue like this, when it appears to violate the core values of so many people?

• Consider what has been ‘coded’ as capital in your community.

  • Are things allowed to be bought and sold that you think shouldn’t be?

  • If so, why?

•  How dependent are you on one or a few businesses for the things you need to survive? 

  • If you identify some monopolies or oligopolies in your life, do you think they take advantage of their power?

  • A local monopoly could be a locally-owned and operated business, as when there is one hairdresser in a town owned and operated by a local community member. In other cases, that monopoly could be one shop in the town that is part of a larger chain, owned and operated by people who do not live in the community. What difference might these two situations make in the way the business uses its potential monopoly power?

• Some young people get paid by their parents or guardians for doing housework. Others feel that paying young people for that care and domestic work sends the wrong message about relationships and responsibilities in the household. What do you think - should young people be paid for doing housework? (Note: you might want to focus on the issue of whether payment should be connected to the housework. The issue of whether young people should get pocket money, regardless of the work, is somewhat different).