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What is Scarcity?
What is Scarcity?
Watch the youtube video to get a quick refresher on the topic of scarcity from an economic lens. You can also review lecture slides here. Information on scarcity can be found in the Fundamentals section.
After watching the video, select an alternative disciplinary perspective below (sociology and political science, psychology, or ethics and public health) and write a 3-5 page essay answering the reflection question.
Reflection Question: In our class, scarcity is presented as a fundamental problem of the world we live in. Do you believe scarcity is an unavoidable part of life, or a hurdle to be overcome? Use insights from your chosen alternative discipline and info we learned in class to answer the question.
Sociology and Political Science
"NFTs and the Explosive Rebirth of Artificial Scarcity"
"NFTs and the Explosive Rebirth of Artificial Scarcity"
By: Luke Dormehl on digitaltrends
Read about the market economy benefits and challenges surrounding NFTs, and how the their presence relies on a kind of artificial scarcity. They are valued according to a scarcity that is *created* by man, not fundamentally driven by limited resources.
Access the article here: https://www.digitaltrends.com/web/nfts-artificial-scarcity/
Psychology
"The Scarcity Trap: Why We Keep Digging When We're Stuck in a Hole"
"The Scarcity Trap: Why We Keep Digging When We're Stuck in a Hole"
Hidden Brain podcast episode from NPR, hosted by Shankar Vedantam
Listen to this 36-minute podcast episode about the psychological phenomenon of scarcity. Through interviews and expert discussion, understand the ways that human behavior responds to conditions of scarcity. Perspectives from economists and psychologists are included.
Listen here: https://www.npr.org/2017/03/20/520587241/the-scarcity-trap-why-we-keep-digging-when-were-stuck-in-a-hole
"The Psychology of Scarcity"
"The Psychology of Scarcity"
Princeton psychologist Eldar Shafir explores how deprivation wreaks havoc on cognition and decision-making
"Psychological Responses to Scarcity"
"Psychological Responses to Scarcity"
Article published in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Psychology by Jiaying Zhao and Brandon M. Tomm detailing for an academic audience the cognitive challenges imposed by scarcity.
"Scarcity and Consumer Decision Making: Is Scarcity a Mindset, a Threat, a Reference Point, or a Journey?"
"Scarcity and Consumer Decision Making: Is Scarcity a Mindset, a Threat, a Reference Point, or a Journey?"
Article published by Goldsmith, Griskevicius, and Hamilton detailing multiple perspectives on how scarcity can shape consumer decisions.
Ethics and Public Health
"Austerity Myths and the Health of Nations: What Malawi Tells Us"
"Austerity Myths and the Health of Nations: What Malawi Tells Us"
Rhodes Center Podcast hosted by Mark Blyth at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University
In this episode, Mark interviews Luke Messac, a physician and historian. Luke discusses the scarcity and austerity in healthcare settings using the example of Malawi.
"Interrogating Scarcity: How to Think About 'Resource-Scarce Settings'"
"Interrogating Scarcity: How to Think About 'Resource-Scarce Settings'"
Published in Health Policy and Planning by Ted Schrecker
"Denaturalizing Scarcity: A Strategy of Enquiry for Public Health Ethics"
"Denaturalizing Scarcity: A Strategy of Enquiry for Public Health Ethics"
Another Ted Schrecker piece, claiming that "scarcities which underpin health disparities within and among countries are not natural; rather, they result from policy choices and the operation of social institutions.
"Ethical Framework for Transitions Between Conventional, Contingency, and Crisis Conditions"
"Ethical Framework for Transitions Between Conventional, Contingency, and Crisis Conditions"
Ethical guidelines published by the Minnesota Department of Health regarding the allocation of resources in times of extreme scarcity, using the COVID-19 pandemic as an example.
"Escaping the Scarcity Loop"
"Escaping the Scarcity Loop"
Short (2 page) perspective published in The Lancet by Rupal Shah and John Launer. Details the issue of scarcity primarily from the perspective of a practicing physician.
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