What if social value determined economic value?

Elizabeth Nicolosi, Cohort S

Hi All,

Elizabeth Nicolosi of Cohort S just shared this awesome article which shows what happens when economic value is quantified using social value as the key variable.

The results may not surprise you Caring Economy Conversation Leaders - but it is fascinating to see the analysis.

Hospital cleaners more valuable than bankers: Research quantifies social value created by workers

Enjoy!

The Balancing Act

Hi All,

Thanks to Molly Freeman for alerting us to this series of New York Times articles called The Balancing Act, which looks at the ways working mothers from varied backgrounds are balancing careers and family responsibilities.

Here's the first installment, called "Coveting Not a Corner Office but Time at Home"

And here's a great commentary on that piece called Men Want Work-Family Balance, and Policy Should Help Them Achieve It
which goes further to explore the needs of men and fathers as part of this picture of policies needed to improve the lives of working families:

And here's the second article in the NYT series called "Working Parents, Wanting Fewer Hours"

These articles are wonderful sources of real-people stories showing how the dilemmas and struggles caused by a lack of caring policies at work and as a nation.

Good reading!

Human Capital, Social Capital, Natural Capital

Hi Everyone,

As you know, in the Path to Real Prosperity presentation, there is discussion of the notion of "human capital" - the term economists use to describe the capacity that individuals have to learn, create, collaborate and contribute as workers and as citizens.  And of course, a big part of the Caring Economy message is that supporting children and the people who care for them is necessary for economic success because it is through positive early childhood experiences that high quality human capital is created.

However, the broader "Real Wealth" model and the "New Economic Map" also show the community volunteer sector and the natural sector as being important missing pieces of a sustainable economy.

Recently, Adam Chefitz (Cohort YLP) has been asking for resources that might help to flesh out the connections between vibrant community and natural sectors and economic success. Thanks for the great questions, Adam!

Here are some links that can help you expand your discussion of the economic value of social and natural capital.

On Social Capital:

Here’s a link that shows how social capital is connected to economic development:

And this one shows how social capital is framed in a public health context 

If you want to read in more depth on the concept of Social Capital and applications, this is a good white paper.

On Natural Capital:

A good starting point is this link to the Natural Capital Project - an organization working to do for natural capital what the caring economy campaign is doing for human capital.

Hope you find these resources helpful!

Best wishes,
Sara