2622.11 - Economics and Society

2622.11

Economics and Society

10

The purpose of the course is to develop the competence of the students: • To understand and use basic economic concepts and economic models, • To analyze and synthesize economic texts, including texts about economic history (and history of theory) and economic policy, • To understand the role of the economy in the transformations of society, especially after the industrial revolution, and • To understand the role of economics in practical policy-making

The main part of the course is delimited to the most basic concepts and models of economics; a part of the teaching is training in the use of the economic database of the statistical office. The ultimate focus of the course is on the relationship between technological-economic innovations and socio-economic transformations (the relationships between productivity and transformation), market economy versus interventionism, economics as a basis for economic policy-making, the development of economics as seen from an historical perspective, and the role of economics in interdisciplinary contexts.

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”.

The examination is oral and with a preparation time. The oral examination will last 20 minutes. The preparation time will last 40 minutes with access to all literature except the internet and mobile phone. An external examiner partakes in the examination.

Ólavur Christiansen