SOCIAL JUSTICE, LESSONS. In Religionomics, students explore the relationship between religion and economics. What are the basic factors of production? Do they reflect the values taught by religion? How do economic systems influence human behavior and how does our behavior support our values? In preparation for global citizenship, this program encourages students to wonder: What common values of social justice do all people share across all traditions and how can our economic systems be modified to encourage behavior that support those values?

Drawing on the work of E.F. Schumacher in Small Is Beautiful, this unit guides students in comparing the factors of production from archetypical Western, capitalist economies with the ideal Eastern, “Buddhist” economies and culminating in students examining measures of productivity (GDP) versus measures of happiness (GNH). The Teacher’s Guide assists teachers in taking students through each section from a social justice perspective. How/Should our economics support values of justice, fairness, peace, and equality for all? 

Students become aware of how their personal behaviors can change the way they experience life as consumers and as producers in our society;  this is an empowering program.

This is an amazing guide…I love the way you put this together…
If you have another conference…this would have really broad appeal! -Lindsay Passmore

Recommended ages: 11 and up
Teacher’s Guide:  32 pages including each page of the Student’s Guide 
Student’s Guide:  14 pages
Materials are for individual, personal, non-profit use. For organizations, contact me about a license or subscription that benefits your mission.

In the spirit of “gifting,” Religionomics is free for teachers who contact me at laurenzinn@zinnhouse.com about using it in their classroom. These lessons can meet multiple Common Core standards for high school (economics, history, literature) and middle school (language arts, world history, social studies).