
Meet the Economy
Exploring the four core spheres of activity at the heart of the economy: the market, state, household and commons

Version 1.0 (September 2020)
Overview
This series of lessons introduces the four core spheres of economic activity: the market, the state, the household and the commons. It explores how these can provision for our needs and looks and what it might mean to create a healthy balance between them for a thriving economy. The first lesson starts with the student’s experience of the economy and introduces the Embedded Economy. Lessons 2 and 3 introduce each of the four spheres of activity and explore their very different qualities and caveats. And the final lesson draws them together to explore the tensions, power and synergies between them.
Click here for a printable version of the Embedded Economy diagram in over 25 lanugages.
Lesson Outcomes
- Learn about the market, state, household and commons and explore their qualities and caveats
- Think critically about what a healthy balance across these four spheres of activity might look like
- View the four spheres of activity through one’s own lived experience
Who is it for?
Educators | Students aged 16+ | Communities
How long does it take?
4 x 90 minute lessons
One day-long workshop (6 hours)
How many people is it for?
10 - 40
What materials do you need?
Screen or projector, 3 large sheets of paper or boards to write on, materials for the creative expression (see lesson four, part 3)
Acknowledgements
Original content by Kate Raworth. Lesson plan written by Rob Shorter and Kate Raworth. Additional contributions from Carlota Sanz, Andrew Fanning and Stephanie Leite.
Links
Open the lesson plan in Google Docs
Open the accompanying presentation in Google Slides
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Amandine Sabourin
Brussels, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale - Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Belgium
Researcher on public policies of cooperation and development, I now advocate for local governments active in decentralised cooperation. Interested to applying the doughnut to the local level!
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Adolfo Chautón Pérez
Cáceres, Extremadura, España & Marvão, Alentejo, Portugal
I am Spanish, I have a degree in Geography, a Masters in Strategic Territorial Development and have been living betwenn Spain in Portugal, in the frontier since October 2019. Professionally, I have 20 years of experience, always as a freelancer, working in different areas related to the territory: planning, participation, dynamization... For the last 15 years I have been working as a facilitator in territorial innovation and socio-ecological entrepreneurship, both as a facilitator of processes, as a trainer and mentor of social innovation projects or as a writer of several strategic territorial planning projects based on social innovation, both at regional and national level in Spain and internationally. As an independent researcher, I have developed several projects in which the Doughnut Economics model is always one of the strategic components. + info I am currently coordinating the BoraBeirã project in which the "LojaPlaneta" initiative is integrated. [Banner_Embajadora.png] [ ] #EMBAJADORA_ADE https://www.alianzadonut.es/
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Iratxe Acha
Bilbao, Euskadi, España
I live in Bilbao, in the north of Basque Country, and I work in SAIOLAN, in Mondragon. I have experience in collaborating with entrepreneurs in the development of new business activities. During last years I’ve focused my work (with some colleages in SAIOLAN) in connecting « foreign companies with innovative solutions » with « local companies » as a way to create new local business activities and new employment, while improving local economy’s circularity. In this work, we focus our search in innovative solutions that contribute to clean earth, water and air, and the evolution of agrifood industry towards Circular Economy. Easy&Fast to explain in few words, Complex&Slow to implement with success... Apart from SAIOLAN, I’m also involved in Fairphone Community (as Fairphone Angel) and in local cultural associations. I feel inspired by the compass that Doughnout E. could imply to behave smarter for the whole-we-take-part-in.
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Carra Santos
Bath, BANES, UK.
With over 15 years of experience at the intersection of creativity, innovation, sustainable development, and social/behavioural insight, I help people and organisations navigate seemingly disconnected perspectives, disciplines and contexts, while nurturing shared understanding, trust and alignment - strengthening how they communicate, collaborate and build. I began exploring Doughnut Economics around 2017, attending events from 2019, and becoming a DEAL community member on its launch in 2020. My interest in economics increased during my 2021 'Sustainable Development in Practice' Masters dissertation on narrative framing and communication of degrowth practices to UK business leaders, which examined the difference between degrowth, growth-agnostic and growth-led perspectives. I started the Doughnut Economics group in Bath, UK in 2022 which evolved into Collaborative Bath in 2024, which I ran in until May 2025. I continue to support it ad hoc, and a number of councils, universities and enterprises with local outreach and engagement. Email me or join me on LinkedIn.
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London, England, United Kingdom
Communities & Art Lead at DEAL | Steward of the global community of grassroots organisers using Doughnut Economics | Workshop facilitator | DEAL Team tool designer | Collective imagination practitioner | Game designer | Musician