2622.10 - Economics and Society

2622.10

Economics and Society

10

The purpose of the course is to develop the competence of the students to understand and use economic concepts and economic models, and to analyze and synthesize economic texts, including texts about economic history and economic policy, as well as the role of the economy in the transformations of society, and the role of economics in practical policy-making.

The ultimate focus of the course is on technological-economic changes as part of social transformations, economics as a basis for economic policy-making, the development of economics as seen from an historical perspective, and the use of economics as a theoretical discipline. The beginning and first half of the course are delimited to the most basic concepts and models of economics. Part of the teaching is training in the use of the economic database of the statistical office.

The teaching takes place as (a) lectures and dialogues, (b) seminars and exercises based on oral proceedings and presentations from groups of students (max 3 in each group) , and (c) two individual problem-solving sessions that resemble (written) examinations. Planning is made for (a) 12 lectures (two hours each), (b) 11 seminar/exercise sessions (two hours each), and (c) and two “trial” examinations (two hours each). Student attendance is required for the seminar/exercise sessions, if the student is part of the presenting group. The course requires 50 “desk-hours” (25 double-hours). The ECTS requirements for an average student will be 4½ hours preparation for each of the 50 “desk-hours”.

5 hours written examination without access to internet or literature. The examination is external and judged according to the at the current marking scale.

Ólavur Christiansen