SOC06021 2022 Economy, Ecology and Economic Anthropology

General Details

Full Title
Economy, Ecology and Economic Anthropology
Transcript Title
Economy, Ecology, Anthropology
Code
SOC06021
Attendance
N/A %
Subject Area
SOC - Sociology
Department
SOCS - Social Sciences
Level
06 - Level 6
Credit
10 - 10 Credits
Duration
Semester
Fee
Start Term
2022 - Full Academic Year 2022-23
End Term
9999 - The End of Time
Author(s)
Gwen Scarbrough, Sinead Barrins, Karin White
Programme Membership
SG_HJOIN_H08 202200 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Sociology and Politics
Description

Economics has been presented as the ‘mother of all social sciences’, while Friedrich Engels famously noted: The economy looks after everything. In this module, the subject will be approached from three perspectives: An introduction classic economics,  an introduction to economic anthropology and the inclusion of ecological aspects. Throughout the course, students will familiarise themselves with a number of perspectives, and theories, such as Formalism (Raymond Firth), Substantivism (Malinowski, Karl Polanyi), Marxist Perspectives and Cultural Ecology (Marvin Harris, Roy Rappaport, Marshal Sahlins, Kay Milton). Key writers including Stiglitz, Krugman, Pikkety, Raworth, Iris Marion Young and Naomi Klein will be examined. This module provides students with a broad introduction to, and overview of economics, from a wide social, cultural and political and ecological perspective.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module the learner will/should be able to;

1.

Examine a range of key terms concepts and disciplinary approaches used in economics and material culture and their applications to contemporary economic life

2.

Appraise the development of economic thought and theories over time

3.

Discuss key contemporary economics issues.

4.

Be able to understand and explain how economic life is constituted through social, cultural and material practices.

5.

Identify and explain cultural variation in terms of the approach to the economy, and key concepts (eg, person, thing, money, market, gift and care).

6.

Analyse the concept of culture as a mediator between human beings and the environment

Teaching and Learning Strategies

Accessible course material

Active Learning

Brainstorming

Case studies

Consider diverse learning abilities

Debate

Discussions

Enquiry-based learning

Group work

Inclusive teaching

Integrate prior knowledge

Interactive

Lectures

Planning

Presentation

Problem Solving

Reading

Reflect

Research

Specified learning activities

Tutorials

Use of Moodle as a repository

Workshops

Module Assessment Strategies

Case Studies

Portfolio (or Reflective Diaries)

Poster (or Infographic)

Video (or Presentation)

Repeat Assessments

Repeat of failed element.

Indicative Syllabus

1. Examine a range of key terms and concepts used in economics

This learning outcome will examine the contemporary world of economics where we are consistently presented with terms and concepts eg growth rates, inflation, unemployment, trade, wealth, scarcity, demand and supply, and markets as well as the role played by government around fiscal and monetary policy.  This module will allow the student explore the meaning of these terms and analyse how they impact and interact with society, politics and peoples’ lives. 

2. Appraise the development of economic thought from classical thinking to more contemporary schools of thoughts.

This learning outcome will appraise the development of economics as a discipline from the classical thinking of Aristotle to Adam Smith, Marxism, Keynesian, Monetarism and the re-emergence of neo-Keynesianism. The three primary schools of thought Classicalism, Marxism and Keynesianism and their varied offspring will be explored. Particular focus will be on the development of macroeconomic ideas over the last century from the rise of Keynesian economics after the great depression, the similar upsurge in the influence of Monetarism policy after the decline of the 1970’s, neo-Keynesianism in response to the financial crisis and the recent Covid pandemic crisis. Competing philosophies on the role of government intervention in the economy will be considered.

3.  Engage in discussion of the key contemporary economics issues.

This learning outcome examines a range of contemporary economic topics. These include but are not limited to the causes and consequences of fluctuations in economic activity, the role of monetary and fiscal policy, measurement of living standards, economic growth, trade, inequality, inflation, and unemployment.  A particular focus will be on potential solutions to our problems of inequality, lack of consideration for externalities, environmental damage and how capitalism can evolve. Examining the work of Piketty, Krugman, Young, Stiglitz and Raworth we assess the solutions they proposed to current problems.

4.  Understand and explain how economic life is constituted through social, cultural and material practices.

We will examine the need to put economic activities/institutions in a context of other relationships/institutions such as political, ritualistic, kinship etc), the importance of culture in our understanding of ‘things economic’ and explore the comparative perspective by developing explanations about similarities and differences between systems, contrasting cases with others and attempting to make generalisations.

5 Identify and explain cultural variation in terms of the approach to the economy, and key concepts (eg, person, thing, money, market, gift and care).

We will analyse a variety of economies and their substantive differences, such as variations of systems of production, e.g. hunting and gathering, forms of pastoralism and patterns of agriculture including slash-and-burn, terrace, irrigation systems, milk farming in the EU, profit and rent, wage labour and more. We will also question the assumption that we can extend western economic categories to the analysis of other cultures and explore the notion of Anthropology as a testing ground for the development of universal theories of the economy.

6. Analysis of culture as a mediator between human beings and the environment.

We will examine how human beings interact with  their environment and use its resources to fulfil their material wants and needs. We will also look at the three broad ways of thinking about humans’ relationship with the environment: They adapt to and are shaped by their environment (environmental determinism); they adapt to their environment to suit themselves and therefore shape it (cultural determinism); people and their environment shape each other (ecosystem model).

Coursework & Assessment Breakdown

Coursework & Continuous Assessment
100 %

Coursework Assessment

Title Type Form Percent Week Learning Outcomes Assessed
1 Project and seminar Project Assessment 50 % Week 6 4,5,6
2 Project Project Assessment 50 % Week 12 1,2,3
             

Full Time Mode Workload


Type Location Description Hours Frequency Avg Workload
Lecture Tiered Classroom lecture 4 Weekly 4.00
Tutorial Flat Classroom Tutorial 2 Weekly 2.00
Independent Learning Not Specified Independant Learning 5 Weekly 5.00
Total Full Time Average Weekly Learner Contact Time 6.00 Hours

Required & Recommended Book List

Required Reading
2002 Essai Sur Le Don Psychology Press
ISBN 0415267498 ISBN-13 9780415267496

When first published, The Gift served as nothing less than an onslaught on contemporary political theory. This edition confirms the continuing relevance of Mauss's highly original perspective.

Required Reading
1972 Stone Age Economics Transaction Publishers
ISBN 0202010996 ISBN-13 9780202010991

Originally published: Chicago: Aldine-Atherton, 1972.

Required Reading
1957 Trade and Market in the Early Empires Glencoe, Ill. : Free Press
ISBN STANFORD:36105033964896
Required Reading
1991 The Theory of Peasant Co-operatives I.B.Tauris
ISBN 1850431892 ISBN-13 9781850431893
Required Reading
2000 Pigs for the Ancestors Waveland PressInc
ISBN 157766101X ISBN-13 9781577661016
Required Reading
1989-11-09 Money and the Morality of Exchange Cambridge University Press
ISBN 0521367743 ISBN-13 9780521367745

This collection is concerned with the symbolic representation of money in a range of different societies, and more specifically with the moral evaluation of monetary and commercial exchanges. It focuses on the different cultural meanings surrounding monetary transactions, emphasizing the enormous cultural variation in the way money is symbolized and how this symbolism relates to culturally constructed notions of production, consumption, circulation, and exchange.

Required Reading
1998 Good to Eat Waveland PressInc
ISBN 1577660153 ISBN-13 9781577660156

This text explains the diversity of the world's gastronomic customs, demonstrating that what appears to be irrational food tastes turn out really to have been shaped by practical, or economic, or political necessity.

Required Reading
1986 The Appropriation of Nature Manchester University Press
ISBN 0719018625 ISBN-13 9780719018626
Required Reading
1993 Environmentalism Psychology Press
ISBN 0415094755 ISBN-13 9780415094757

Explores the interdisciplinary nature of the environmental debate, demonstrating that anthropology has a distinctive contribution to make in the study of key issues, such as responses to exploitation and the globalization of culture.

Required Reading
Young, Iris Marion. From Guilt to Solidarity: Sweatshops and Political Responsibility. Dissent 50, no. 2 (2003): 3944 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14409917.2019.1596200

Required Reading
2012 The Economics Book Dorling Kindersley Ltd
ISBN 9781409376415 ISBN-13 1409376419

All the big ideas, simply explained - an innovative and accessible guide to economics Bring economics to life with The Economics Book, an essential guide to more that 100 of the big ideas in economic theory and practice covering everything from ancient theories right up to cutting-edge modern developments. From Aristotle to John Maynard Keynes and beyond, all the greatest economists and their theories are featured and the innovative graphics, step-by-step summaries and mind maps help clarify hard-to-grasp concepts. The Economics Book is perfect for economic students and anyone who has an interest in how economies work.

Required Reading
2018-02-22 Doughnut Economics Random House Business Books
ISBN 1847941397 ISBN-13 9781847941398

The book behind the hit TED Talk**The Sunday TimesBestseller**Economics is broken, and the planet is paying the price.Unforeseen financial crises. Extreme wealth inequality. Relentless pressure on the environment. Can we go on like this? Is there an alternative?In Doughnut Economics, Oxford academic Kate Raworth lays out the seven deadly mistakes of economics and offers a radical re-envisioning of the system that has brought us to the point of ruin. Moving beyond the myths of 'rational economic man? and unlimited growth, Doughnut Economics zeroes in on the sweet spot- a system that meets all our needs without exhausting the planet. The demands of the 21st century require a new shape of economics. This might just be it. *A Financial Timesand ForbesBook of the Year**Winner of the Transmission Prize 2018* *Longlisted for the FT/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award 2017*'The John Maynard Keynes of the 21st century.? George Monbiot, Guardian'This is sharp, significant scholarship . . . Thrilling.? Times Higher Education'Raworth?s magnum opus . . . A fascinating reminder to business leaders and economists alike to stand back at a distance to examine our modern economics.? Books of the Year, Forbes'There are some really important economic and political thinkers around at the moment - such as Kate Raworth?s Doughnut Economics.? Andrew Marr, Guardian'An admirable attempt to broaden the horizons of economic thinking.? Martin Wolf, Books of the Year, Financial Times'A compelling and timely intervention.? Caroline Lucas MP, Books of the Year, The Ecologist

Required Reading
2018-01-18 Economics Worth
ISBN 1319181945 ISBN-13 9781319181949

When it comes to explaining fundamental economic principles by drawing on current economic issues and events, there is no one more effective than Nobel laureate and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman and co-author, Robin Wells. In this best-selling introductory textbook, Krugman and Wells signature storytelling style and uncanny eye for revealing examples help readers understand how economic concepts play out in our world. Economics 5e provides unparalleled coverage of current topics, including sustainability, the economic impact of technology and pressing policy debates. A commitment to broadening students understanding of the global economy; a global focus is woven throughout with more on the ascendance of Chinas economy, the Euro and events in Europe (including Brexit), and post-recession economies around the globe.

Required Reading
2021-02-16 Arguing with Zombies W. W. Norton
ISBN 0393541320 ISBN-13 9780393541328

An accessible, compelling introduction to today's major policy issues from the New York Times columnist, best-selling author, and Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman.

Required Reading
2020-04-09 People, Power, and Profits
ISBN 0141990783 ISBN-13 9780141990781

We all have the sense that our economy tilts toward big business, but, as Joseph E. Stiglitz explains in People, Power, and Profits, a few corporations now dominate entire sectors, contributing to skyrocketing inequality and slow growth. This is how the financial industry has managed to write its own regulations, tech companies have accumulated reams of personal data without oversight, and the government has negotiated trade deals that fail to represent the interests of workers. Too many have made their wealth through exploitation of others rather than through wealth creation. New technologies may make matters worse, increasing inequality and unemployment. Stiglitz identifies the true sources of wealth and of increases in standards of living, based on learning, advances in science and technology, and the rule of law. He shows that the assault on the judiciary, universities, and the media undermines the very institutions that have long been the foundation of economic prosperity and democracy. He sets out the economic solutions which will exploit the benefits of markets while taming their excesses, and how a decent middle-class life can once again be attainable for all.

Required Reading
2014-04-15 Capital in the Twenty-First Century Harvard University Press
ISBN 067443000X ISBN-13 9780674430006

The main driver of inequality--returns on capital that exceed the rate of economic growth--is again threatening to generate extreme discontent and undermine democratic values. Thomas Piketty's findings in this ambitious, original, rigorous work will transform debate and set the agenda for the next generation of thought about wealth and inequality.

Required Reading
2009-11-24 No Logo Picador
ISBN 0312429274 ISBN-13 9780312429270

NO LOGO was an international bestseller and "a movement bible" (The New York Times). Naomi Klein's second book, The Shock Doctrine, was hailed as a "master narrative of our time," and has over a million copies in print worldwide. In the last decade, No Logo has become an international phenomenon and a cultural manifesto for the critics of unfettered capitalism worldwide. As America faces a second economic depression, Klein's analysis of our corporate and branded world is as timely and powerful as ever. Equal parts cultural analysis, political manifesto, mall-rat memoir, and journalistic expos, No Logo is the first book to put the new resistance into pop-historical and clear economic perspective. Naomi Klein tells a story of rebellion and self-determination in the face of our new branded world.

Required Reading
2018-10-17 The Communist Manifesto Independently Published
ISBN 1728906326 ISBN-13 9781728906324

The Communist Manifesto Friedrich ENGELS (1820 - 1895) and Karl MARX (1818 - 1883), translated by Samuel MOORE (1838 - 1911) The Communist Manifesto was conceived as an outline of the basic beliefs of the Communist movement. The authors believed that the European Powers were universally afraid of the nascent movement, and were condemning as "communist," people or activities that did not actually conform to what the Communists believed. This Manifesto, then, became a manual for their beliefs. In it we find Marx and Engel's rehearsal of the idea that Capital has stolen away the work of the artisan and peasant by building up factories to produce goods cheaply. The efficiency of Capital depends, then, on the wage laborers who staff the factories and how little they will accept in order to have work. This concentrates power and money in a Bourgeois class that profits from the disunity of workers (Proletarians), who only receive a subsistence wage. If workers unite in a class struggle against the bourgeois, using riot and strikes as weapons, they will eventually overthrow the bourgeois and replace them as a ruling class. Communists further believe in and lay out a system of reforms to transform into a classless, stateless society, thus distinguishing themselves from various flavors of Socialism, which would be content to have workers remain the ruling class after the revolution. The Manifesto caused a huge amount of discussion for its support for a forcible overthrow of the existing politics and society.

Required Reading
2020 Capital and Ideology
ISBN 0674245091 ISBN-13 9780674245099

Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century showed that capitalism, left to itself, generates deepening inequality. In this audacious follow-up, he challenges us to revolutionize how we think about ideology and history, exposing the ideas that have sustained inequality since premodern times and outlining a fairer economic system.

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Non ISBN Literary Resources
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