Creative writing in economics

by Ophelia D. Goma
Many professors are continually looking for new pedagogical approaches to enhance their basic curriculum. One innovation that educators have adopted is writing across the curriculum (WAC). Supporters of this approach emphasize the fundamental value of writing, not only as a means of evaluating students' understanding of a topic but also as a learning tool (Parker and Goodkin 1987, Herrington and Moran 1992, Petr 1998). As a result of the wider application of this approach, the study of language and writing in the classroom has become more dominant in the college experience.
The WAC movement, which steadily gained prominence throughout the late 1900s, has evolved into writing-intensive courses in many fields, including economics. In fact, more and more professors of economics are giving writing assignments in a wide range of courses and developing courses with writing as the core of the instruction. Traditional curricular writing assignments in economics have focused on term papers, short essay reports, or case studies. Creative writing is rarely used because many professors believe that it cannot be applied within disciplines that lean toward mathematical modeling and theorizing. I assert, however, that creative writing can be a very effective learning tool in economics.
Importance of Writing in Economics
The use of writing across the curriculum programs has demonstrated that writing not only serves as a medium for communication but also enhances a student's cognitive and intellectual development. Parker and Goodkin (1987) argue that students should recognize that the value of writing is its capacity to aid in the construction and synthesis of knowledge and therefore extends beyond the honing of actual writing skills.
The economic profession promotes the use of writing as a teaching tool because it develops the students' ability to think as economists do (Siegfried et al. 1991). The problem-solving method used in writing compositions teaches students to apply the theories taught in class, which increases their understanding of what economists do. As the students begin to think like economists, they gain a deeper connection to the field.
According to Cadwallader and Scarboro (1982, 362), "Better student writing leads the student to a closer, more personal involvement with the discipline through a more active involvement with its ideas, concepts, and information." Once the ideas and theories of economics become an integrated part of the students' cognizance, they are better equipped to weave those ideas into other contexts. Therefore, writing in economics provides a basis for thinking, learning, and appreciating the discipline.
The assignments that economics instructors in writing-intensive courses conventionally use include term papers or short writing assignments (journals, short essay explanations of a concept, newspaper articles, and reaction papers; Crowe and Youga 1986, Cohen and Spencer 1993, Hansen 1993, Pernecky 1993). A survey by Simpson and Carroll (1999) suggests that term papers successfully advance students' understanding of economics, whereas the reaction papers or opinion pieces develop useful professional writing skills. Other examples of writing assignments include rhetorical case writings (Palmini 1996) and essay exams, which reinforce the instructor's commitment to writing in the classroom (Crowe and Youga 1986).
These writing techniques are useful in that they teach students a formal writing style and a specific structure to organize their thoughts. But students can also benefit from more creative channels to refine their critical thinking, writing, and communication skills.
Benefits of Creative Writing
Creative writing (e.g., short stories, dramas) enriches students' learning experience by encouraging creativity and imagination. The goal of a good college education is to build a mosaic of knowledge and experiences to prepare students to react intelligently and creatively to life's challenges. In economics, policymakers consistently face problems for which there are no solution manuals or textbook answers; these situations require innovative responses drawn from a variety of resources. Siegfried et al. (1991, 199) write that these creative skills help students in economics learn how to "frame questions," determine "what tools and principles apply to particular problems," and "understand or explain surprising or unexpected results."
But knowledge and imagination alone are not enough. We need a skillful use of language to translate images into words and communicate our ideas (Miller 1982). In essence, the use of creative writing helps to improve the flexibility of students' problem-solving skills and their fluency in stating their ideas.
That flexibility is equally important in teaching students to reach a diverse audience. Traditional writing assignments are designed to communicate to a special audience: the professor, who represents a knowledgeable and informed reader (Cohen and Spencer 1993). When given repeated, similar assignments, students develop narrow writing skills and are ill-equipped to communicate effectively and persuasively. Students must become adept at modifying their writing style according to the reader. The inability to do so becomes a serious liability once students leave school. For example, a survey by Simpson and Carroll (1999) indicated a dissatisfaction among employers with their workers' inability to speak clearly about their ideas to clients.
Moreover, these skills are becoming more valuable in today's publishing market, which encourages a more creative approach even toward nonfiction writing (Berman 1997). The creative writing approach to economics has found its way to college-level books such as The Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protectionism (2001) by Russell Roberts. The book presents a fictitious dialogue with the late David Ricardo, who explains his theory of comparative advantage. Because of the steadily increasing costs of publishing, the goal of editors has been to capture a larger and more lucrative audience through nonfiction and fiction pieces. As a result, many editors have focused on more creative styles in pieces on political, economic, and social issues to interest the reader.
Palmini (1996) uses rhetorical cases to broaden the audience base of his students and enhance economic learning. In these assignments, students address various readers (e.g., CEOs, managers, policymakers) to explain how economics can resolve a given problem. Other economics educators introduce literature and drama (e.g., Hamlet, East of Eden, The Joy Luck Club, the poems of Robert Frost) into their courses to show that economics can be discussed in different ways (Watts 1998). Watts (1998, 187) claims that reading the literature demonstrates to students that "there is a verbal, non-technical intuition and logic that underlies economic analysis," and that economics can be expressed in ways that are "more accessible and interesting to non-economists, including students."
Whereas the literature assignments ask students to search for the economic analysis, creative writing assignments ask students to apply their economic knowledge. According to Palmini (1996, 208), when students are forced to explain economic ideas to "varied audiences for different purposes, they may develop, as a joint product, an enhanced understanding of those ideas." Hand-in-hand with this awareness of audience is the diversification of the student's knowledge and thought processes.
Another benefit of creative writing is self-expression. Breaking away from the structure of traditional writing brings freedom that becomes a catalyst for self-expression. In an atmosphere where students feel weighed down by grammatical rules and stylistic devices, they often forget the primary rationale for the assignment, which is the development of critical thinking skills and the ability to express ideas. Students often attempt to mirror what they believe the professor wants to hear or read, stifling any personal expression.
Research shows that when students are allowed to select their means of expression, they learn more about a subject and the knowledge lasts longer (Parker and Goodkin 1987). Through creative writing, students gain a voice and have a forum to legitimize their ideas, and their writing becomes more personal and insightful. They are no longer passive recipients of information but active disseminators. Students have a tool to explore their experiences and knowledge and apply them to solving the economic problems presented in the classroom.
As teachers, it is vitally important that we allow students to examine their lives and write in a way that reflects their experiences so that they begin to personalize the economics (Crowe and Youga 1986, Honeychurch 1990). A student who describes his uncle's unemployment, for instance, can create a piece that is more vivid and meaningful than a statistical rendering of the issue. Creative writing, thus, becomes a voyage of discovery in which students learn about themselves, their culture, society, and how economics fits into their world (Cadwallader and Scarboro 1982, Parker and Goodkin 1987).
Results from a Creative Writing Assignment
I introduced the creative writing assignment into my principles of economics course, which is a survey of both microeconomics and macroeconomics and typically has twenty to twenty-five students. This assignment is good for an introductory class in which the students are not heavily versed in economic theories and are usually more interested in direct applications of economic concepts.
I presented an economic situation (a country suffering from a recession) to the students and asked them to examine several questions about the economic problems of that country. For example, they were to address government solutions to the problem, the opportunity costs the government would face in solving the problem, and the concerns of ordinary citizens about the future if the problems persisted. The students could choose their creative form as long as the outcome maintained logical applications of economics (see appendix for a copy of the assignment).
The outcome of the assignment was favorable. I received a variety of papers--short stories, plays, interviews, sci-fi stories, and newspaper articles--in which the students were able to demonstrate their flexibility as writers. All of the papers were written to address an audience other than the professor. Several education majors, for example, presented their assignment as a story, which allowed them to examine how economics can be expressed so that it is accessible to children. Those students interested in journalism presented their project as a newspaper or magazine article in which they had to explain such concepts as gross domestic product and government policy to a broad audience with presumably limited technical knowledge of economics.
The papers also illustrated a heightened level of imagination in the way the economic problems were addressed and resolved. Some students created stories using colorful narrative and vivid dialogue among fictional characters to describe social ills such as drinking, depression, and suicide that are caused by excessive unemployment. Other students wrote about the relationship between minority groups and the unemployment rate, showing that they understood the statistical consequences of social inequities caused by unemployment. In all of the papers, it was evident that the students were examining the economics at a personal level, much more so than they would with a regular term paper. At the same time, they were exploring the meaning of economics in their contemporary society.
In weaving the description of fiscal or monetary policy into their creative pieces, the students were forced to give more thought to how those policies actually work so they could explain them in a more personal way that would complement the creative style of their composition. Clearly, the students had a basic understanding of the concepts, and their intuition shines through despite the lack of formal writing (though the structure itself is formal for each piece of creative writing). Left to their own devices, the students not only adequately explained the economic concepts but exercised both imagination and skill in doing so. Furthermore, students learned how economics can be relevant in different disciplines. In this light, the assignment was successful.
In terms of potential problems or obstacles with this assignment, perhaps the biggest drawback is the time invested in grading the papers (which is true for any writing assignment). Evaluations of creative papers also pose a greater challenge in that talents vary--the level of sophistication in the creative style was quite disparate among my students. Thus, I made sure to concentrate on whether the student had gained insight into the use of economics.
The vehicle through which that insight was delivered was given only minor consideration because it was intended to allow the student some latitude. Hence, I considered grammar and spelling in the evaluation, but the primary focus was on the content: points were largely allocated to the correct analysis and use of economic concepts.
Finally, although the assignment came at the end of the semester, it met with few complaints. The short length of the project (five pages at most) and the creative element prevented students from feeling burdened by yet another writing assignment--on the contrary, their enthusiasm was rather refreshing. The assignment sparked conversation among students before class about their compositions, and the reaction even became competitive as students were inspired to show their creative side. Students indicated that the assignment was a welcome change, and many enjoyed the creative challenge. In fact, one student, an English major, remarked to me a year after the course that the paper remains his most memorable and favorite assignment from the course because it allowed him to relate economics to his major.
Summary
Creative writing offers an innovative approach to teaching economics. I do not promote this assignment as a substitute for other writing assignments, but rather as a complement to instruction and course work. Creative writing provides a pedagogical approach that not only forces students to open their interpretation of economics in a different way but also reaches students who are less motivated by the traditional lecture format and need the creative outlet to bring a balance to their instruction. Professors in economics should take advantage of such creative outlets because they offer enriching experiences for students and teachers alike.
REFERENCES
Berman, R. 1997. Creative nonfiction writing. Writer 110(12): 5-8.
Cadwallader, M. L., and C. A. Scarboro. 1982. Teaching writing within a sociology course. Teaching Sociology 9(4): 359-82.
Cohen, A. J., and J. Spencer. 1993. Using writing across the curriculum in economics: Is taking the plunge worth it? Journal of Economic Education 24:219-30.
Crowe, D., and J. Youga. 1986. Using writing as a tool for learning economics. Journal of Economic Education 17:218-22.
Hansen, W. L. 1993. Teaching a writing intensive course in economics. Journal of Economic Education 24:213-8.
Herrington, A., and C. Moran, eds. 1992. Writing, teaching, and learning in the disciplines. New York: Modern Language Association of America.
Honeychurch, J. 1990. Language, cognition, and learning: Expressive writing in the classroom. Journal of Curriculum & Supervision 5:328-37.
Miller, J. 1982. The basics and the imagination. In The English curriculum under fire, ed. G. Hillocks. Urbana, Ill.: National Council of Teachers of English.
Palmini, D. J. 1996. Using rhetorical cases to teach writing skills and enhance economic learning. Journal of Economic Education 27:205-16.
Parker, R. P., and V. Goodkin. 1987. The consequences of writing: Enhancing learning in the disciplines. Upper Montclair, N.J.: Boynton/Cook.
Pernecky, M. 1993. Reaction papers enrich economics discussions. College Teaching 41(3): 89-91.
Petr, J. L. 1998. Student writing as a guide to student thinking. In Teaching undergraduate economics, ed. W. B. Walstad, and P. Saunders. Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill.
Roberts, R. 2001. The choice: A fable of free trade and protectionism. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
Siegfried, J. J., R. L. Bartlett, W. L. Hansen, A. C. Kelley, D. N. McCloskey, and T. H. Tietenberg. 1991. The status and prospects of the economics major. Journal of Economic Education 22:197-224.
Simpson, M. S., and S. E. Carroll. 1999. Assignments for a writing-intensive economics course. Journal of Economic Education 30:402-10.
Watts, M. 1998. Using literature and drama in undergraduate economics courses. In Teaching economics to undergraduates, ed. W. Becker and M. Watts. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
Econ 100: Creative Writing Assignment
Objective: The objective of this assignment is to provide you with an opportunity to use economics in a creative writing assignment. My expectation is that you will not only apply the basics of economics but will see that beneath the rigidity of theory, there is room for a creative undercurrent.
Assignment: Your assignment is to examine the following situation and determine how the economic theories and concepts learned this semester can be applied to address the questions below. Your response to these questions can be in the form of a short story, a play, a newspaper article, an interview, etc. Be as creative as you like--just be sure to weave together a logical economic analysis. The point of view you take on the topic is entirely in your discretion. You may address the citizen portrayed in the situation or you may "talk about" the situation to a third party.
For example, you may be a prosecutor summarizing your argument about a crime in which the defense has stated the catalyst for the crime is the economic situation. Or you may be a patient in therapy whose obsession is economics. Let your mind wander and explore, but remember to maintain the applications of economics in your creative work.
The Situation: Barnable is a citizen of the country of Xanadu. His country has been suffering from a severe recession over the last five years during which time the country has experienced a steady rise in unemployment. Barnable, a concerned citizen, ponders the future of his country.
1. What concerns does Barnable have about the future of his economy and his future in the economy if things persist as is?
2. What can the government do to solve the problem?
3. What kind of opportunity costs does the government face if it carries through with your response in question 2?
4. What role does Barnable play in the way things turn out in this economy?
General Guidelines:
1. Type written, 12 font, 1" margin, double spaced.
2. Page limit: 3-5 pages.
3. Papers will be graded for clarity, grammar, spelling, originality, and accuracy of arguments.
Ophelia D. Goma is an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana.