Introducing the Economy

Introducing the Economy
Economy Studies , 2022
Niveau: débutant
Perspective: Autre
Sujet: Réflexion sur l'économie
Format: Teaching Package
The Centre for Economy Studies works on improving and modernising economics education to ensure that students will be better prepared for their future careers and the societal challenges we face today and in the coming decades. The Essential Lectures are teaching packs designed for 90-minute (online or offline) sessions that can be added to existing courses. They help students become familiar with an important topic that is often neglected. Feel free to adjust the material to make it fit with your context and purpose.

Essential Lectures   Economy Studies

Economy Studies Essential Lectures

These teaching packs are designed for 90-minute (online or offline) sessions that can be added to existing courses. They help students become familiar with an important topic that is often neglected. At some universities lectures and sessions are typically longer than 90 minutes and at others shorter. Feel free to adjust the material to make it with your context and purpose.

Introducing the Economy

This lecture is based on the “Introducing the Economy” chapter from the Economy Studies book, which introduces the first building block in their framework for transforming the economics education. The aim is to give students a feel and understanding of the economy as part of a bigger whole. Thus, it is aimed to introduce to students before getting into the economics curriculum with theory and models. We want students to reflect on, and develop some answers to the following questions: What is the economy, why is it important, how does it relate to the larger human and natural world, what are the key problems today, and what roles do its experts, economists, have?

The lesson is divided into five parts:

  1. What is the economy
  2. Ecological and Social Embeddedness of the Economy
  3. Reasons to Study the Economy
  4. The Main Current Societal Challenges
  5. The Role of Economists in Society The book chapter itself will work as more elaborate instructor notes.

Suitable assessment questions and exercises for this lesson should involve things that make students think and spark interest. Essay Questions/Exercises:

  • How is the economy related to the social and ecological world?
  • Identify one item in your daily life and explain how it is connected to the economy.

Lesson plan

Learning Objectives

  • Understand how the economy is embedded in the wider political, social, and ecological world.
  • Identify what the economy is.
  • Evaluate the relevance of the economy/economics and how it is connected to other fields.
  • Explain what it means to become an economist.

Transferable Skills Developed

  • Contextual awareness
  • Knowledge and understanding

Prior to session

Suggested Readings: 

  • Economics: The User's Guide by Ha-Joon Chang
    • Prologue: Why Bother? And Why do you need to learn economics?
    • Chapter 1: Life, the Universe, and Everything. What is Economics?
    • Chapter 2: From pin to PIN. Capitalism 1776 and 2014

Download Instructors Guide  Download Slides

Tags: economy | Economy Studies | Introduction | Teaching Economics | teaching package
Will man umsichtige Daseinsvorsorge betreiben und die Bereitstellung von lebensnotwendigen Gütern und Dienstleistungen erreichen, ist ökonomische Effizienz schlichtweg der falsche Weg. Dabei begegnet uns dieser Widerspruch von Vorsorge und Effizienz im Gesundheitssektor nicht nur in der jüngsten Versorgungskrise mit Medikamenten, sondern dieser Gegensatz zeigte sich nicht zuletzt auch während der Pandemie auf dramatische Weise. Ein Beitrag von Manuel Schulz. 2023 Level: avancé Vorsorge oder Effizienz Manuel Schulz Netzwerk Plurale Ökonomik Teil 5: Keynes versus Hayek, ein Scheingefecht? Woher kommt der Kapitalismus? Ist er eine natürliche Folge der gesellschaftlichen Entwicklung? 2014 Level: débutant Der Kapitalismus – Keynes versus Hayek, ein Scheingefecht? (5/6) Bruno Nahon & Ilan Ziv YouTube (ARTE) Ein neues Traktat von Papst Franziskus löst in marktliberalen Kreisen Furore aus. Die heftige Gegenkritik wirft die Frage nach der Beziehung zwischen der Theologie und der Ökonomik auf: Wieso fühlen sich Ökonom*innen überhaupt herausgefordert? Unsere Spurensuche führt zu den theologischen Anleihen im ökonomischen Denken – die Ethik der unsichtbaren Hand. Ein Essay von Max Hauser. Level: débutant Die Gespenster der Moralphilosophie Max Hauser Netzwerk Plurale Ökonomik What data is used in the economic models of the IPCC? How problematic is it, that tipping points are often ignored? A very interesting presentation by Steve Keen during the OECD Conference "Averting Systemic Collapse". 2019 Level: débutant Averting Systemic Collapse Steve Keen ZOE. Institute for future-fit economies The current Great Recession, the worst crisis that capitalism has faced since the Great Depression, has failed, at least so far, to generate a change in the teaching and practice of Macroeconomics. This seems bizarre as if nothing has happened and the economists are just going about doing business as usual. In light of this, the current paper attempts to address how Macroeconomics ought to be taught to students at the advanced intermediate level, which gives them an overall perspective on the subject. Level: débutant Plurality in Teaching Macroeconomics Rohit Azad New School for Social Research, Department of Economics In this talk Robert Skidelsky analyses how sociology did and could enrich economic analyses, but also how critical sociological insights have been colonised by mainstream economics. 2019 Level: débutant How Can Sociology Help Economics? Robert Skidelsky Institute for New Economic Thinking

Nous soutenir

Ce projet est le fruit du travail des membres du réseau international pour le pluralisme en économie, dans la sphère germanophone (Netzwerk Plurale Ökonomik e.V.) et dans la sphère francophone (Rethinking Economics Switzerland / Rethinking Economics Belgium / PEPS-Économie France). Nous sommes fortement attachés à notre indépendance et à notre diversité et vos dons permettent de le rester ! 

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