SOC06021 2022 Economy, Ecology and Economic Anthropology

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Originally published: Chicago: Aldine-Atherton, 1972.

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.

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.