Do you really do this? Do the students get really defensive about it? How does the conversation tend to go from that point on? I certainly can imagine how vividly it gets their attention.
Do you really do this?
Yes.
They find it amusing. We then continue to discuss opportunity costs.
Interesting. I could imagine some students reacting very, very negatively to being invited to consider every act of consumption in such … moral terms.
My own reaction was to wonder ‘gosh, I hope he doesn’t do only the females and their jewelry...’
I teach at a women’s college.
Yeah, I’m surprised that didn’t turn into screaming or tears, or at least a dropped class.
How does the person singled out react?
I ask if anyone is wearing gold jewelry.
I don’t see the relevance of your response to my question, care to elaborate?
Sorry.
Fine I think. It happens very quickly unlike later in the semester when I insist that a student trade me her jewelry for a glass of water.
To illustrate the fact that the value of goods is determined by their scarcity/abundance relative to demand?
Yes
Do you really do this? Do the students get really defensive about it? How does the conversation tend to go from that point on? I certainly can imagine how vividly it gets their attention.
Yes.
They find it amusing. We then continue to discuss opportunity costs.
Interesting. I could imagine some students reacting very, very negatively to being invited to consider every act of consumption in such … moral terms.
My own reaction was to wonder ‘gosh, I hope he doesn’t do only the females and their jewelry...’
I teach at a women’s college.
Yeah, I’m surprised that didn’t turn into screaming or tears, or at least a dropped class.
How does the person singled out react?
I ask if anyone is wearing gold jewelry.
I don’t see the relevance of your response to my question, care to elaborate?
Sorry.
Fine I think. It happens very quickly unlike later in the semester when I insist that a student trade me her jewelry for a glass of water.
To illustrate the fact that the value of goods is determined by their scarcity/abundance relative to demand?
Yes