This module is a continuation of the Contemporary Economic Challenges A module.
The module continues to demonstrate to students the major challenges facing economists today, some drawing from pressing policy issues (i.e. external validity), others from conundrums internal to economics (i.e. internal validity), and others from beyond the scope of economics as currently practiced.
In each case, the challenge will be placed in a historical context, allowing students to understand how it has been seen and addressed in the past – from normative/ethical and positive/methodological perspectives. This context will provide a basis for thinking about the current incarnation of the problem, including through an awareness of insights from other disciplines.
The module has the scope to involve students as economists in this living project, and to contribute to the public debate, via various media sources, such as videos, group presentations and online publishing platforms.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Identify appropriate technique(s) from a broad range of approaches, including non-standard ones, to evaluate economic problems;
Review a selected economic topic from a broad historical, philosophical and ethical perspective;
Present economic data and information using a variety of approaches and a range of different media, demonstrating the development of students’ academic skills;
Demonstrate their skills in debating both sides of an argument in the context of topics in economics and evaluating the arguments presented by peers.