Films and Teaching

<--------------------------------------------------> This is a posting to ECONHIST.TEACH, a list operated by The Cliometric Society (csociety@cs.muohio.edu). <--------------------------------------------------> I have never used films in an economic history course; I would be interested in whatever success others have in that direction. For what it's worth, my mother (who grew up in a coal-mining town) thought Matawan (W.Va. c. 1921, by the way) was a pretty accurate recreation. Roger and Me is interesting not only for alternative industrial policies, but also problem of transitions/transactions costs (no one wants to move; this is not an abstract problem for them), how decisions are made, the issue of managerial decision-making (precisely what DO managers optimize) -- lots of things. Warn the squeemish about the bunny rabbit, tho. I've always liked It's a Wonderful Life because the Depression DOESN'T start with the stock market crash, as in almost all other moves on the subject, but rather with a bank run (well, okay, a savings and loan run); there's even discussion of discounting, risk-taking. But it's not George vs. Potter and monopoly: George is supposed to stand for our value system -- the theme is that if we all relinquished our resonsibilities toward our community, many of the (nonpecuniary) community goods we enjoy would disappear. Potter isn't just rich -- he's a cheat. Remember the whole thing starts because he effectively steals the Building and Loan's deposit (accidentally dropped by the daft uncle in the bank lobby). There's also stuff in there about George taking chances with people that Potter doesn't have to bother with -- they ALL turn out to be good risks (it's pointed out several times that he's very good at running the B & L). Monopoly isn't exactly the issue -- rather, it's Potter's bottom-line -- AND IMMORAL (remember the theft) -- standard of running his bank, vs. George's broader approach to investment in an entire community and integrity -- the first approach LOOKS like the shrewd choice, but in the end the returns on George's investments are greater. AT least, that's what I think the message was. (By the way, another good description of a bank run -- plus an earlier description of a real estate bubble -- is in the first chapters of Thomas Wolfe You Can't Go Home Again -- it's also pretty accurate, because North Carolina is one of the places where the banking system went kaflooey.) <----------------------------------------------------------> To post a message, send it to ECONHIST.TEACH@cs.muohio.edu. For more information, send the message "info ECONHIST.TEACH" to lists@cs.muohio.edu. >