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This could include, but is not limited to:
1) the application of methods to historical and archaeological data;
2) use of ecological economic methods to analyse present day household or commons based provisioning;
3) development of tools to analyse fictional economies.

We are particularly interested in methodological reflection and development, either through the extension of existing ecological economic methods to non-capitalist contexts, or development of broader methods to expand the scope of ecological economic analysis of non-capitalist economic activity

This includes feminist analyses of households, anthropological explorations of commons activity, modelling of eco-socialist systems, and deep historical or archaeological work from past societies.

In this track we're looking for work that builds on the traditions in Ecological Economics that have a broad conception of what the economy is and can be.

This is not to say that there is no role for complex models. Our next step in WISE is to add complexity. We're working to extend the analysis of productivity, & this workshop identified shared themes to focus an integrated model. But this is only possible because we have the simpler models.

Interpretation is key to understanding how to make change. No model can actually tell us what will happen following a change. Any application of model knowledge requires interpretation of model mechanics - judgements about how those mechanisms translate to circumstances beyond the model. 7/8

Embracing the partial nature of models helps us develop a deeper understanding of the mechanisms being modelled. More mechanisms may make models more realistic, but they also make them harder to interpret. 6/8

All models are partial: Economic methodologist Uskali Mäki argues that models always work by isolating particular causal mechanisms. By manipulating the model we explore what happens when those mechanisms interact. Modelling works best when the number of mechanisms being modelled is fairly small 5/8

This is often how models in the public domain are represented: think about economic forecasts from the UK Office for budgetary responsibility. They are treated as definitive statements on future economic performance, despite being inherently partial. 4/8

It is always tempting to add more to a model, to make it more 'realistic'. This is particularly the case when we try to make models for policy: we (and policymakers) want a model of nearly everything. A complete description of reality so that when we model a policy we can "know" what will happen 3/8

Our epistemological approach is a core strength of the WISE. We adopt a pluralist position, developing 9 thematic models that speak to particular issues and take different theoretical and methodological paths to get there. The key advantage is that the models are fairly simple & tractable. 2/8