Diversity
The purpose of the History of Economics Society is to encourage interest, foster scholarship, and promote discussion on all matters pertaining to the history of political economy, the history of economic thought, and the history of economics. Now more than ever, the success of this mission depends on the extent to which our community is diverse, inclusive, and equitable. It is our conviction that academic excellence is impossible without the unique perspectives, ideas, approaches, and contributions that come from having the broadest diversity of scholars across society and the globe.
Our definition of diversity encompasses all aspects of human difference that form the basis of inequality, exclusion, and discrimination, including race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexuality, socioeconomic class, disability, religion, citizenship status, and country of origin.
Inclusion
To collectively work towards a more excellent and diverse scholarly community, members must commit to treating others equitably and with respect, creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable to express their ideas and contribute to the formation of knowledge. We need to foster an environment in which all scholars feel respected, heard, and encouraged. Only then do we ensure that members can strive for excellence. Equitable treatment does not mean that everyone is treated the same, but acknowledges that everyone’s experience is different. Being equitable includes addressing structural inequalities that provide advantages to some and disadvantages to others. Together, our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity has the potential to disrupt and transform entrenched practices.
Pluralism
The study of history cannot be conducted from a singular point of view, ideological lens, or methodology. No scholarship on any particular geographic region or period of history is intrinsically more or less valuable. In as much as we welcome a diversity of scholars, we also commit to the promotion of scholarly pluralism. Since there is no school of economic thought that is more correct than others, there should be no explicit or implicit hierarchization of our respective approaches to history. The greater our pluralism the richer our scholarship.
Why a caucus ? What is a caucus ?
A caucus (cau·cus | \ ˈkȯ-kəs \): a group of people united to promote an agreed-upon cause (Merriam-Webster).
"In February of 1763, John Adams reported that the Boston caucus club, a group of politically active city elders, would meet in the garret of Tom Dawes to choose Assessors, Collectors, Wardens, Fire Wards, and Representatives. He wrote that at the meetings, those present would smoke tobacco till you [could not] see from one end of the garret to the other. A similarly opaque smoke screen seems to shroud the history of the word caucus. Linguists can see that it is clearly an Americanism; Adams's use is the first known to link the word to such a political meeting. Beyond that, details are uncertain, but some scholars think caucus may have developed from an Algonquian term for a group of elders, leaders, or advisers."