Thank you so much, Julia! I will definitely share your article with my students, and let you know what they think (if you are interested). I love how your piece points out that perhaps we are also making some assumptions about what people in poverty “need” and “want.” Personally, I’m very intrigued by Effective Altruism, and a part of me does believe that money (or providing the opportunity to be self-sufficient/make money) might be most the powerful force in helping someone in a state of poverty.......but I have also wondered about the effects (and “effectiveness”) of the arts, in terms of happiness/joy/soul-feeding. It seems like the way art can change a human being is somewhat unquantifiable—which speaks to its power.
Hi! I wrote a piece about this: http://www.givinggladly.com/2015/05/bread-and-roses.html
edited to add some other resources:
Artists and Designers in EA: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1696670373923332/
80,000 Hours on EA & art: https://80000hours.org/2015/09/will-effective-altruism-destroy-the-arts-no/
An arts advocate interviews GiveWell: http://createquity.com/2014/06/interview-with-givewell/
Thank you so much, Julia! I will definitely share your article with my students, and let you know what they think (if you are interested). I love how your piece points out that perhaps we are also making some assumptions about what people in poverty “need” and “want.” Personally, I’m very intrigued by Effective Altruism, and a part of me does believe that money (or providing the opportunity to be self-sufficient/make money) might be most the powerful force in helping someone in a state of poverty.......but I have also wondered about the effects (and “effectiveness”) of the arts, in terms of happiness/joy/soul-feeding. It seems like the way art can change a human being is somewhat unquantifiable—which speaks to its power.