Title: Bare necessities: understanding economics from The Jungle Book

Authors: Arindam Laha; Sumit Kumar Maji

Addresses: Department of Commerce, The University of Burdwan, India ' Department of Commerce, The University of Burdwan, India

Abstract: Classic fables can have an irresistible appeal to children. The Jungle Book is such a classic tale that is of timeless relevance across the generations. This article utilises literature texts from The Jungle Book and movie scenes to illustrate basic economic concepts. The chosen theme - bare necessities - is a binding force in integrating economics lessons from The Jungle Book. Specifically, this paper investigates economic issues in the following courses: principles of economics; ecology; and development economics. This article employs qualitative content analysis to search for hidden text messages (literature and movies), which can be useful for economics educators. An interdisciplinary approach identifies the pressing needs of jungle life vis-à-vis human society and suggests suitable solutions thereof. It is expected that this teaching method will help economics educators to enable students to understand the economic way of thinking.

Keywords: The Jungle Book; bare necessities; economics; educators; literature; film; pluralism; economics education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPEE.2026.156013

International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education, 2026 Vol.16 No.2, pp.200 - 223

Received: 06 Nov 2024
Accepted: 16 Jul 2025
Published online: 01 Sep 2026 *

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