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132 — Cultural Incentives
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We often discuss the extent to which the economy needs labor to produce its output. But to what extent do people need to work jobs in order to live meaningful and fulfilling lives? Is it a coincidence that people happen to have a "need" to do the very thing that society expects of them? To what extent do cultural and economic incentives shape human psychology?
Does it become a problem if the economy needs less labor? Is it a problem if basic income leaves some people jobless? How adaptable are psychology and culture to these kinds of changes?
This clip from Downton Abbey suggests that norms around work are not universal.
We have two featured guests joining us this week: Bethany Burum and Erez Yoeli. Bethany is a social psychologist and lecturer at Harvard University. Erez is an economist and director of the MIT Sloan School's Applied Cooperation Team. Together they study cultural evolution, explain hidden incentives, and use game theory to describe human social behavior.
For optional reading, we have an April 2020 Guardian article by Lauren Aratani entitled, "Experts warn of mental health fallout from mass US unemployment."
Previous related Boston Basic Income topics have included:
BBI #56 — Workism
BBI #102 — Idleness and Leisure
BBI #116 — Power to Say No
Image Credit: Pacheco et al. (CC BY 2.5)
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