This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
The Reeder Scholars, a new intellectual residence community, invite the campus to participate in a discussion of issues in consumer behavior, concentrating on the social implications of the “invisible hand,” 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, in the back room of Gilbert’s.
Ben Doremus ’07 (Hopkinton, Mass.) will lead the discussion. Ice cream, fruit, and other refreshments will be served.
Coined by Adam Smith, the term “invisible hand” is used to explain the mechanics of free-market capitalism. It is the title of a current First-Year Seminar taught by Ed Gamber, professor of economics and business.
In a free market, supply and demand determine the prices of goods and services. But Doremus argues that this is not simple and that other factors contribute to demand. He questions the reasons people buy and the spending behavior of the rich.
Named for its Reeder Street residence, the Reeder Scholars program borrows its basic structure from the McKelvy House Scholars program – regularly holding discussions open to the campus and organizing activities both on and off campus – but its students are determined that the program have its own distinguishing characteristics.
Previous discussions
Sept. 19 — “Human Nature: Relations Between Society and an Individual”
Sept.13 — “Food as a Cultural Identity”
Sept. 6 — “Offensiveness and Media”