Diversifying the ‘Great Economists’: An Assignment to Promote Inclusivity and Belongingness in Introductory Economics Courses

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this paper, I present an innovative assignment designed to promote inclusivity and belongingness in the undergraduate economics classroom while also allowing students to gain familiarity with prominent economists and understand how their economic contributions are embedded within social, historical, and political contexts. Students are asked to create a presentation in which they give a biography of a ‘Great Economist,’ explain in detail one of the economist’s major contributions, and relate that concept to current course content, the economist’s life, and their own lives. To diversify who is considered a great economist, I have students choose from a pre-set list of economists and associated contributions. Purposefully curating a list of economists allows for the representation of a wide range of pluralistic and mainstream economic perspectives in addition to social identities and lived experiences, which students discover through their research. The assignment is structured to promote significant learning following Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning and informed by key principles of feminist and critical pedagogy. I provide an instructional overview of the project, including recommendations for implementation in a face-to-face or online learning environment, considerations for crafting a list of economists, and end with observations from my own experiences.