Syllabus

Title
0904 Growth, Well-Being and Development 2
Instructors
Univ.Prof. Dr. Armon Rezai, Dr. Manuel Scholz-Wäckerle
Type
PI
Weekly hours
4
Language of instruction
Englisch
Registration
09/01/22 to 09/30/22
Registration via LPIS
Notes to the course
Subject(s) Master Programs
Dates
Day Date Time Room
Monday 10/03/22 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM TC.3.01
Monday 10/10/22 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM D5.0.002
Monday 10/17/22 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM TC.1.02
Tuesday 10/18/22 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM D4.0.039
Thursday 10/20/22 05:45 PM - 07:45 PM Online-Einheit
Friday 10/21/22 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM D1.1.078
Monday 10/24/22 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM TC.3.01
Tuesday 10/25/22 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM D4.0.039
Friday 10/28/22 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM D5.1.002
Monday 10/31/22 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM TC.3.01
Friday 11/04/22 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM TC.4.28
Monday 11/07/22 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM TC.3.01
Friday 11/11/22 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM TC.4.28
Monday 11/14/22 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM TC.1.02
Tuesday 11/15/22 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM D4.0.039
Friday 11/18/22 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM TC.4.28
Monday 11/21/22 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM TC.3.01
Tuesday 11/22/22 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM D4.0.039
Monday 11/28/22 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM TC.3.01
Tuesday 11/29/22 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM D4.0.039
Monday 12/05/22 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM TC.3.01
Tuesday 12/06/22 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM D4.0.039
Monday 12/12/22 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM TC.3.01
Tuesday 12/13/22 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM D4.0.039
Monday 12/19/22 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM TC.3.01
Tuesday 12/20/22 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM D4.0.039
Monday 01/09/23 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM TC.3.01
Tuesday 01/10/23 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM D4.0.039
Monday 01/16/23 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM TC.3.01
Tuesday 01/17/23 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM D4.0.039
Friday 01/20/23 03:00 PM - 04:30 PM TC.4.15
Monday 01/23/23 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM TC.3.01
Tuesday 01/24/23 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM D4.0.039
Contents

This course is separated into two parts, where the first part focuses on classical political economy taught by Armon Rezai (Sessions 2-7), the second part on other heterodox schools taught by Manuel Scholz-Wäckerle (Sessions 8-13).

The first part provides a brief introduction to the concepts of economic growth, national accounts, and sustainability. It introduces students to alternative theories of economic growth and the role of the environment in them. Social institutions and their implications for innovation and ultimately economic growth are also discussed. Students will be given opportunity to specialize in one of these topics by studying canonical texts in more detail.

The second part introduces students to heterodox approaches on evolutionary patterns of world capitalism in historical and geographical perspective, institutions, technology and economic evolution, with an emphasis on Veblen and Schumpeter as well as on intellectual monopoly capitalism (e.g. platforms). Furthermore, capitalism's relation to nature and its biophysical foundations are explored along the work of Georgescu-Roegen and others.

The course is structured in a frontal lecture for all students to be held on Mondays, three student-led ‘seminars’ of 20 people each on Tuesdays. Each student is required to attend the Monday lecture and one seminar group, for a weekly total of 3 hours.

-------------------

Session 1, Course overview and introduction

Session 2, GDP and growth: the basic concepts

Session 3, Development theory and policy

Session 4, The beginnings on Smith, Ricardo, and Malthus

Session 5, Innovation, Competition, and Growth: Schumpeter, Marx, Keynes

Session 6, Economic Growth, Sustainability, and the Environment

Session 7, Mid-term exam

Session 8, Evolutionary patterns of world capitalism and production of space

Session 9, Technological change, innovation and economic evolution (Schumpeter and beyond)

Session 10, Intellectual monopoly capitalism and the platform economy

Session 11, Institutional economics and evolutionary political economy (Veblen and beyond)

Session 12, Biophysical foundations of economic evolution (Georgescu-Roegen and beyond)

Session 13, Final exam.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

  • Understand the process of economic growth and development in a historical and theoretical manner;
  • Connect the dynamics of this process to those of environmental processes;
  • Understand the role of space and time in capitalist production systems, discuss issues of world-ecologies and post-development;
  • Understand the role of technology and institutions for political economic evolution;
  • Understand biophysical foundations of the economic process
  • Identify and discuss different political economic approaches to growth, development and well-being;
Attendance requirements

Attendance is mandatory in all units of the course. Some of the sessions are reserved as make-up dates. These will be cancelled if no needed.

Notice of Special Regulation for Covid-19: If a student is required to quarantine, or is otherwise prevented from attending class, due to a certified case of Covid-19 infection or a federally mandated Covid-19 lockdown, and this affects either attendance or the completion of an exam or other required course assignment, the course instructor is empowered to move the location of the course online or to provide an alternative means for said student to meet the attendance/assessment requirement as necessary. The same means will be required of any student in the same situation in the same course. If an instructor is required to quarantine, or is otherwise prevented from attending class, the location of the course can be moved online.

Teaching/learning method(s)

The course will employ an innovative approach in order to present a more effective and personalised educational offer.

There will be a 1.30h frontal lecture for all SEEP students on Mondays and seminars will be held on Tuesdays.

Students will then be divided in three 'seminar' groups of 20 people each. These groups will meet separately on tuesdays. These student-led seminar group will include student group presentations, discussion of readings, group work, exercises and Q&A.

As a consequence, students will still have to choose between the two formal courses and will access the relative information on Bach and MyLearn, but the timetables will be different from what the online platforms state. Students will have to attend the common frontal lecture, plus the specific seminar to which they will be assigned before the beginning of the course.

 

Assessment
  • Group presentation in seminar session 2-6 (15%)
  • Quiz (5%)
  • Mid-term exam session 7 (30%)
  • Group presentation in seminar session 8-12 (15%)
  • In-group participation and contribution session 8-12 (5%)
  • End-term exam session 13 (30%)

 

Availability of lecturer(s)
Regular office hours (TBD) will be held by the course lecturers.


Last edited: 2022-10-06



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