The concept of reason in economics: Smith and Sen versus neo-classicism

Economics, for the most part, has adopted and promoted an instrumental and internalist view of reasons, grounding reasons in preferences. Exceptions have been few and far between, but they include, significantly, Adam Smith and Amartya Sen. Sen\u27s idea of counter-preferential choice, adumbrated in his brilliant article, Rational Fools, has had almost zero influence in the profession, alas. Smith\u27s differences with Hume on practical reason have been ignored (by economists at any rate). The idea that one can have an external reason, a reason to act counter to one\u27s preferences, has had no purchase in our discipline

How the Labor Movement and Labor Strife in Northwest Ohio in the 1930s shaped the Structure of American Labor

The labor disputes of the 1930s involved more than just the traditional relationship between management and labor. In a way, these disputes were more about long-term gains and the realization of industrial labor achieving real power and influence versus gaining short-term outcomes such as wage increases and better working conditions. For over a century, craft unionism dominated the American system regarding representation, influence, and immense control over the economy, society, and the political system. At about the same time, many industrial-type unions were forming and evolving. Many of the monumental struggles of industrial and agricultural unions took place within the context of the Great Depression. Two such struggles took place within 75 miles of each other in Northwest Ohio. One significant outcome was the formation of the Congress of Industrial Organizations(CIO) as a labor representative to balance the older and more established American Federation of Labor (AFL). This paper is an account of two cases and how each brought about a significant paradigm shift in the American labor structure to better recognize the needs of industrial workers

The Profitability of Racial Diversity and Gender Balance in Modern Hollywood

This paper investigates the effects of racial and gender diversity in modern Hollywood. The primary objective is to determine if an objectively measurable increase in diverse casting over the last two decades has had a positive or negative impact on profits, and a secondary objective to measure diversity’s impact on critic scores. The study utilizes data focusing on the fifty most expensive films from 2003, 2008, 2013, 2018, and 2023. The findings indicate that profit is neither positively nor negatively affected by diversity, whether in ethnicity or gender. However, movie critic ratings are negatively affected by ethnic diversity when using audience scores. No measured impact on ratings was found when considering professional critics scores

Unshackling the Coffee Supply Chain: An “Ethics Project” for Catholic Colleges and Universities

Against the background of a growing and increasingly sophisticated body of theological literature on economic ethics, this article proposes a project to change for the better, morally, how coffee is supplied on the campuses of Catholic colleges and universities. We argue that this project is squarely in service of a Catholic college or university’s core educational goal of humane development of its students. The article then proceeds in three steps. First, we explain how the coffee supply chain works and how it is entangled in what Pope Francis called “the economy that kills.” Second, we discuss obstacles to our proposed project and a number of strategies for overcoming them. Third and finally, we reflect further on why our project is worth undertaking. Its impetus is resistance to the exploitation of the vulnerable and affirmation of the basic human dignity of the poor. It thereby presents an opportunity to show students Catholic social thought in practice

A Tale of Two States: Abortion Referenda in the Aftermath of Dobbs

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned the access to abortion that had been established with Roe v Wade. As a result, states had autonomy to make statewide policies on this issue. Some states chose complete bans, some partial bans, and others provided continuing access to abortion. This article explores the dueling referenda of 2022 and 2023 in Kentucky and Ohio, respectively, following the Dobbs decision in 2022. Voters in both states voted to continue to permit abortion access in their states, yet access in each state is different. Using case studies, we examine the political nuances and electoral aftermath of these referenda, and find a dichotomy behind how electoral decisions have influenced policy at the state level based on party control and political leadership

Broaching for Culturally Responsive Suicide Risk Assessment

Despite rising suicide rates and disparities in minoritized communities as well as calls from experts and community leaders to address cultural factors, most suicide risk assessment (SRA) approaches remain acultural. Counselors who use acultural SRA can cause harm by neglecting to address crucial factors that may heighten or protect clients from suicide risk. This article provides guidance for proactive and responsive broaching in SRA using the four dimensions of the Multidimensional Model of Broaching Behavior (DayVines et al., 2020). The model provides an overview of key concepts, explicit recommendations for counselors in diverse settings, and an illustrative case example. Concerns, limitations, and implications for counselors, supervisors, educators, and researchers are addressed

Male and Female Genital Modifications in Anthropological Perspective

The chapter discusses the origins, dissemination, and contemporary global distribution of cultural, heritage-based genital modification practices of females and males. These are performed as rites of passage; religious obligations; safeguards to virginity, chastity, and marriageability of girls; or group and gender identity. Male genital modification practices are unevenly distributed globally and originated multiple times in parts of Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific. Detailed accounts of the history of male circumcision in ancient Egypt and the Levant are provided as examples of the variations in practices and multiple origins, and male circumcision among Muslims in Africa, Asia, and elsewhere is covered. Female genital modifications were also known in antiquity and similarly originated multiple times in Africa, Asia, and possibly elsewhere, probably along with or following the establishment of male modifications. Female genital cutting is practiced by followers of several religions, and some Muslims believe it to be required or at least desirable in their faith. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the spread of male circumcision was further accelerated by medical promotion, in the belief that it contributed to disease prevention and morality. The World Health Organization’s current support for male infant circumcisions while at the same time promoting abolition of female genital cutting (with some exceptions) is discussed. The contentious ethical issue of whether it violates human rights to surgically alter the genitalia of infants or children, who are unable to provide informed consent, is also discussed