Ross and Usher on the ‘Whole Economy’

 There is a play tonight at the Malaspina Theatre by legendary social playwright, David Diamond, called “Corporations in Our Heads.” I will pass around the details.  I will also pass around the take-home mid- term, which is due on Tuesday [no exceptions!].  Today we’ll talk about David Ross and Peter Usher’s incisive notion of the ‘whole economy.’

What would be examples of each layer?

 Typically we think of the economy in fairly narrow terms – big business (i.e. corporations), some small businesses, and a modest (and somewhat declining) role for government. Their model, first introduced in 1986, is far more nuanced.  It consists of: · big business · the public sector · small business · collectives and cooperatives · community enterprises · voluntary activity · barter and skills exchanges (one could probably add here community currencies) · mutual aid and · household activity.

 What would be some examples of each? (Please read the whole chapter for a detailed description of the essential characteristics of each sector, a description which may be useful in understanding the organizational structure of the case you choose. They make the point that each category shades into others quite subtly. The book is not only on reserve, but is also available as an e-book: David Ross and Peter Usher, From the Roots Up.)  What sectors have you participated in in the last month?

 They also offer a matrix for classifying the economy. First they divide it into big and small, and then into having a commercial purpose vs. a social purpose. The small and social aspects of the economy tend to be more on the informal side vs. formal side of the economy.  What would be examples of:  Large and commercially-oriented organizations?  Small and commercially-oriented organizations?  Large organizations with a substantially social purpose?  Small organizations with a social purpose?

 The advantage of the kinds of models offered by Henderson and Ross and Usher is they broaden our perspective into all the various ways that people get their needs met, which is arguably what an economy is all about – not creating and then chasing after a panoply of desires, or making money for the sake of money, but producing sufficiency and happiness.  While our ability to meet our needs outside the formal economy has shrunken dramatically, it still exists to some degree.