The Economish Game

With help from the IF man, the BUT squad and the HOW ABOUTs, Economish makes sense of economics… ish

Posted by Copenhagen Doughnut / Københavns Doughnut April, 25, 2021 31 likes

Version 1.0 (April 2021)

By Dani Hill-Hansen, Karl Rasmus Sveding, Rikke Veber Rasmussen, & Vedushan Ratnasingam

Overview

This game enables discussions about the knowledge- and value foundation of which the current dominant unsustainable economic paradigm is built, and what knowledge and value foundation a sustainable paradigm must be built upon.

The game is inspired by Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics, and uses fun characters to personify neoclassical economists, heterodox economists and radical change makers.

Why use it?

The game is a fun way to tackle some tricky subjects that are otherwise heavy and perhaps better understood through active discussion.
The game forces the players to take different standpoints that they might not personally subscribe to. As such, it aims to create understandings of different world views, and create a common ground for discussion.

Who is it for?

Anyone interested in sustainability who would like to learn more about the impacts of macroeconomics on global sustainability

How long does it take?

Anywhere from a 15 minute warm up to a 3 hour workshop! But we suggest 50-80 minutes

How many people is it for?

Minimum 2 - Ideally a group upwards of 10 people (classroom size)

What materials do you need?

Access to a printer, scissors, white boards or sheets of paper. You should print out the "game cards" document.

What does the facilitator need to know or be able to do?

Actively engage players in the game.
Carefully read both the "game description" document and print out the "game cards" document

Acknowledgements

This game is made as part of a Sustainable Design semester project (Aalborg University, Copenhagen) in 2020. The project was supervised by Professor of Ecological Economics, Inge Røpke (Aalborg University Copenhagen), and valuable insights and feedback was provided by Rob Shorter (DEAL), Jenny Anderson (The Really Regenerative Centre), Joachim Peter Tilsted (Rethinking Economics DK), and in addition by Henrik Gudmundsson (CONCITO) as External Censor of project.