Economics vs. My Brain, Or Why We Are Liberal, Pt. II
I just made this posting to The Other Blog, and thought I'd reprint here.
Remember my posting about poverty a few weeks ago? It spurred an amazing conversation, one that I don’t want to let die.
It’s delightfully rainy in Seattle today, and I’ve spent the morning sipping coffee in my PJs, and catching up on my piles of weeks-old articles and whatnot. I just got to the New York Times Magazine from March 20. Oh, such fodder! I’m tempted to rail about the issue of Ibrahim presented in the cover story, but I’ll save that for a future posting. In the meantime, let me say this: go read the piece about Roland Fryer, an African-American economist at Harvard. My head is spinning.
First: I feel dumb, and totally under-educated. I had no idea that economics was such a complex, multi-disciplinary study. To look at economics along with social theory, genetics, and other various factors – well, I’m totally inspired and amazed. Roland Fryer’s story is incredible, but the research and theories on which he is working right now are downright genius, even if they prove to be without merit. Namely (how to summarize this?), looking at the racial divide in America as a confluence of factors, but boiling down to economics and disparities and issues of genetics and socialization.
Really, you should go read the piece so we can have a discussion about this – I feel like my brain cells are crackling (or cracking) at the moment. This thinking dovetails perfectly with our discussions about poverty and the working poor in America.
Here’s the article. Let’s discuss.
** Addendum by Trampoline, who can't leave well enough alone: HERE is a FREE PDF of the article.
Remember my posting about poverty a few weeks ago? It spurred an amazing conversation, one that I don’t want to let die.
It’s delightfully rainy in Seattle today, and I’ve spent the morning sipping coffee in my PJs, and catching up on my piles of weeks-old articles and whatnot. I just got to the New York Times Magazine from March 20. Oh, such fodder! I’m tempted to rail about the issue of Ibrahim presented in the cover story, but I’ll save that for a future posting. In the meantime, let me say this: go read the piece about Roland Fryer, an African-American economist at Harvard. My head is spinning.
First: I feel dumb, and totally under-educated. I had no idea that economics was such a complex, multi-disciplinary study. To look at economics along with social theory, genetics, and other various factors – well, I’m totally inspired and amazed. Roland Fryer’s story is incredible, but the research and theories on which he is working right now are downright genius, even if they prove to be without merit. Namely (how to summarize this?), looking at the racial divide in America as a confluence of factors, but boiling down to economics and disparities and issues of genetics and socialization.
Really, you should go read the piece so we can have a discussion about this – I feel like my brain cells are crackling (or cracking) at the moment. This thinking dovetails perfectly with our discussions about poverty and the working poor in America.
Here’s the article. Let’s discuss.
** Addendum by Trampoline, who can't leave well enough alone: HERE is a FREE PDF of the article.
posted by O'Mc Bloggivan at 11:25 AM
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