Where did the economy and the market come from? Who invented them and what exactly do they do? Our political leaders and corporate media commentators treat them as if they are living breathing entities. They're not. The economy is a theoretical construct. However, it is made material in the form of capital transactions using cash as the basis for economic relationships which are cemented in the market place of goods. But what is it they actually contribute to our society? Pundits would argue that the markets are our saviours. Critics would argue that economic structures and the markets that represent them only reinforce class and social divisions. What models are there we can look to for hope and what lessons can we learn from the classics?

Greg Jarjoura holds a Masters Degree in Economics and lectures in Economics and International Relations at The University of New South Wales. He is the winner of a Sydney University award for the Best Dissertation in a PostGraduate Degree for his Masters Thesis. He has published a number of journal articles on economic theory. Greg lives in inner Sydney with his family. I spoke with Greg in a rather noisy office in Alexandria in September 2004.

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