Teaching The Tragedy of the Commons through an Iterative, Performance-based, Embodied Cognition Pedagogy

ABSTRACT

Garrett Hardin’s The Tragedy of the Commons is a classic piece of academic literature in geography and cognate fields. Applying theories of embodied cognition and performance pedagogies, this paper presents a classroom-based activity that can be used to teach the concepts of The Tragedy of the Commons in a way that will likely intersect with students’ own lived experiences more meaningfully than Hardin’s central example of a group of livestock owners making use of a shared field for grazing. The activity involves a dialogue among five student volunteer actors that iteratively portrays a group of friends trying to negotiate their own advantages alongside a sense of equity in the context of dividing the cost of a shared meal. During and after the performance, key opportunities are presented for the instructor to lead a discussion about Hardin’s “tragedy” as well as the solutions he proposes by which it might be overcome. The model of scripted performance plus impromptu discussion used here can be applied to the teaching of other complex topics in the geography classroom.

KEYWORDS:

• Embodied cognition
• environmental economics
• environmental studies
• natural resource management
• performance based learning
• tragedy of the commons

Acknowledgments

The author thanks the students at Coastal Carolina University who have participated in this classroom activity and especially those who have provided feedback on its effectiveness.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Appendix

Appendix 1: Script

Scene: four friends decide to get together one night per week for dessert.

Week 1 (Mood: Happy)

Server: Hi! Welcome to the Dessert Room at Bern’s. My name is _______ and I’ll be your server. Just so you know, we don’t allow separate checks, ok? What can I get for you?

Diner 3: Guys, let’s just order what we want and split the check equally. That’ll be easiest. I’ll put it all on my card and then we can just divide the total by four and Venmo each other the money.

Diner 1: Works for me. [to server] I’ll have the chocolate cheese pie, please.

Diner 2: Mmm, that sounds good. I’d like the chocolate cheese pie too, please.

Diner 3: Make it three; I’ll have the chocolate cheese pie as well.

Diner 4: You know, I’m pretty full from dinner. I’ll just have a coffee.

Narrator: [Discuss the breakdown of costs and values for each diner.]

Total cost = $33.35

Cost each = $8.34

Value for Diners 1-3 = $9.95 each

Value for Diner 4 = $3.50

Week 2 (Mood: Even happier)

Server: Hey, welcome back to the Dessert Room at Bern’s! You remember me—my name’s _______ and I’ll be your server again. You remember the rule against separate checks too, right? What can I get for you today?

Diner 1: New week, new dessert. I’d like to try the banana cheese pie, please.

Diner 2: Mmm, that sounds good. I’d like the banana cheese pie too.

Diner 3: Make it three; I’ll have the banana cheese pie as well.

Diner 4: Well, I learned my lesson last week. I’m not skipping dessert this time if I’m going to have to pay anyway. I’ll have a banana cheese pie too.

Narrator: [Discuss the breakdown of costs and values for each diner with entire class.]

Total cost = $39.80

Cost each = $9.95

Value each = $9.95

Week 3 (Mood: Oh so happy)

Server: Three weeks in a row! You’re my favorite customers. What can I get for you?

Diner 1: [to friends] This is great. I love our weekly dessert club. And I love my friends. [to server] I’m going to try the cheesecake Gert this time, please.

Diner 2: Mmm, that sounds good. I’d like the cheesecake Gert too.

Diner 3: Make it three; I’ll have the cheesecake Gert as well.

Diner 1: Hey, I’m noticing a trend here. Why don’t you guys ever pick your own desserts?

Diner 2: What are you talking about?

Diner 1: Never mind.

Diner 4: Ok, so the first time we got together I paid more than eight dollars and all I got was coffee. Last week I paid ten dollars and got a sweet dessert. I see how this goes. If I’m going to have to pay I might as well go big. I’ll have the Taste of Bern’s, please.

Narrator: [Discuss the breakdown of costs and values for each diner with entire class.]

Total cost = $47.85

Cost each = $11.96

Value for Diners 1-3 = $9.95 each

Value for Diner 4 = $18.00

Week 4 (Mood: A bit dark among diners, server is cheery as always)

Server: Hey, hey, look who’s back. What can I get for you today?

Diner 1: [to self] Man, last week I got cheated. I paid twelve dollars for a ten-dollar dessert. I’m getting my money’s worth this time. [to server] I’ll go with the Taste of Bern’s.

Diner 2: Taste of Bern’s for me too, please. Got to get mine.

Diner 3: You guys are a bunch of thieves. [to server] Give me a Taste of Bern’s.

Diner 4: I own this system! [to server] Bananas Foster, please.

Diners 1-3: [silent reactions of shock]

Server: [to Diner 4] Excellent choice, but that dessert is meant for two. Are you going to be sharing it with one of your friends?

Diner 4: No, why?

Server: …

Diner 4: …

Server: Right. Three Tastes of Bern’s and one Bananas Foster coming right up.

Narrator: [Discuss the breakdown of costs and values for each diner with entire class.]

Total cost = $82.00

Cost each = $20.50

Value for Diners 1-3 = $18.00 each

Value for Diner 4 = $28.00

Week 5 [after a break of several weeks] (Mood: Cautiously optimistic)

Diner 1: [to friends] Ok, if we’re going to keep this dessert club going we’re going to need to change our plans. How about this: we put our foot down with this server and simply demand separate checks. Each of us just pays for what we get.

Server: Hi! Welcome back to…

Diner 3: [cutting off the server] Separate checks or we don’t eat here anymore.

Server: Ok, look for you I’ll see what I can do. [goes away and comes back] My manager says just this once, we can do separate checks.

Diner 1: Sweet. Guys, I just sold a load of Bitcoin yesterday and I’m rolling! [to server] I’ll go with the Taste of Bern’s and the Bananas Foster.

Diner 2: Wow, good for you. [to server] Just a chocolate cheese pie for me, please.

Diner 3: Good call on going back to the classic. [to server] I’ll have a chocolate cheese pie too, please.

Diner 4: Guys, it’s been a rough week. I lost my job, my bank account got hacked, and I was mugged on my way to the restaurant just now. I haven’t had a proper meal in three days and I’m broke. No dessert for me. [to server] Is there any way I could just get some free bread? Even if it’s stale.

Server: [to Diner 4] No. You have to leave.

Narrator: [Discuss the breakdown of costs and values for each diner with entire class.]

Total cost = $65.90

Cost and value for Diner 1 = $46.00

Cost and value for Diner 2 = $9.95

Cost and value for Diner 3 = $9.95

Cost and value for Diner 4 = $0

Week 6 (Mood: Back to happy)

Server: Hey guys, last week was a special treat but my manager said I’m not allowed to give you separate checks anymore. You’re just going to need to figure out a way to split the bill, ok? What can I get for you?

Diner 4: Well, things are getting a little better for me. I got the bank account sorted out and I had a job interview today. Still, I want to be sure to watch the budget so nothing fancy for me tonight. [to server] I’ll just go with a coffee.

Diner 1: I think we should all just get coffee. You know, for solidarity and for fairness. [to server] I’ll have a coffee too.

Diner 2: All for one and one for all. [to server] Coffee for me too, please.

Diner 3: Now is my chance! [to server] I’ll have a chocolate cheese pie, please.

Diner 4: I hate you.

Diners 1 and 2: Same.

Server: You, know, I’m actually starting to hate all of you.

Narrator: [Discuss the breakdown of costs and values for each diner with entire class.]

Total cost = $20.45

Cost each = $5.11

Value for Diners 1, 2, and 4 = $3.50 each

Value for Diner 3 = $9.95

Week 7 (Mood: Very dark among diners, even the server is pessimistic)

Diner 1: [to friends] Why do we keep doing this? Seriously, we need to stick to the plan. Let’s each get coffee. Only coffee. Ok?

Diner 2, Diner 3, and Diner 4: Ok

Server: Wow, I did not expect to see the four of you sitting at a table here again. What can I get for you?

Diner 1: [to server, matter-of-fact] Coffee.

Diner 2: [to server, sketchily] … um … Taste of Bern’s?

Diner 3: [to server, defiantly] Taste of Bern’s!

Diner 4: [to server, triumphantly] Bananas Foster!!

Diner 1: Why are we even friends?

Server: My question exactly.

Narrator: [Discuss the breakdown of costs and values for each diner with entire class.]

Total cost = $67.50

Cost each = $16.88

Value for Diner 1 = $3.50

Value for Diners 2 and 3 = $18.00 each

Value for Diner 4 = $28.00

Week 8 [The mood is the darkest it’s been.]

Server: You four again? Really? Well, who am I to judge? What can I get for you?

Diner 1: Let’s just hang out and not order anything. [to server] Nothing for me.

Diner 2: Nothing for me.

Diner 3: Nothing for me.

Diner 4: Nothing for me.

Server: This isn’t a public park. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.

Narrator: [Discuss the breakdown of costs and values for each diner with entire class.]

Total cost = $0

Cost and value each = $0

Week 9 [The mood gradually progresses from worse to better throughout the interaction.]

Diner 1: So, I’m taking this geography class and this week we learned all about the Tragedy of the Commons. According to the author, the only thing that works in situations with individual reward but shared harm is gentle coercion. People need to feel like they have some control over their own life choices but they can’t be allowed to just take and take from a common resource pool. Does that remind you all of anything?

Diner 2: Actually yeah, my grandfather raises sheep in England and the farmers there all share the same pasture…

Diner 1: [interrupting] Anyway, I was thinking, how about if we make a new rule? We can each order whatever we want as long as it’s eleven dollars or less. That way we can choose our desserts within reason. Then we’ll split the check four ways like always.

Diner 3: Works for me.

Diner 4: Sounds good.

Diner 2: Hmm, we’ll see how this goes.

Server: Hi! Welcome to… You? Again? Some people… Anyway, what can I get you?

Diner 3: I’ll have the vintage chocolate lush sundae.

Diner 4: I’d like the chocolate cheese pie.

Diner 2: I’ve been wanting to try the brown sugar. I’ll go with that please.

Diner 1: I’m so happy right now! I’ll have the roasted pineapple.

Server: [cheerily] Wow! You did it! Coming right up! I’m so glad you got it figured out. It sounds like you’re taking a spectacular geography class. You should definitely give your professor good marks on the end-of-semester evaluations. Oh, and your dessert club is welcome here at Bern’s anytime!

Narrator: [Discuss the breakdown of costs and values for each diner with entire class.]

Total cost = $42.90

Cost each = $10.73

Value for Diner 1 = $10.95

Value for Diner 2 = $11.00

Value for Diner 3 = $11.00

Value for Diner 4 = $9.95