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ECON1171: Economic Controversies

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Type Open
Level 1
Credits 20
Availability Not available in 2024/2025
Module Cap None.
Location Durham
Department Economics

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • Principles of Economics (ECON1011)

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • To introduce a number of economic controversies for non specialists

Content

  • A range of material is treated at an introductory level, with topics likely to include some of the following indicative content but will vary from year to year in line with current controversies.
  • The Causes and the Consequences of Natural Disasters
  • Why are Premier League footballers paid so much?
  • What should we do about Global Warming?
  • Brexit
  • Should we be Legalising Class A Drugs?
  • How should healthcare be provided?
  • Can economic growth continue forever?
  • Will robots take our jobs?

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • Know and understand the basic principles of economics
  • Be able to apply an economic framework to the analysis of economics issues
  • Be able to construct and explain fundamental economic models and interrelationships

Subject-specific Skills:

  • By the end of the module students should be able to:
  • explain key theories in economics
  • use appropriate techniques for economic analysis.

Key Skills:

  • Critical and analytical thinking
  • Problem solving
  • Written communication
  • Own learning
  • Working with numbers
  • Library skills
  • Information retrieval

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Teaching is by lectures and workshops. Learning takes place through attendance at lectures, workshops and student reading. Summative assessment is by means of an assignment.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Lectures201 per week1 hour20 
Workshops84 in Term 1, 4 in Term 21 hour8 
Preparation and Reading172 
Total200 

Summative Assessment

Component: AssignmentComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Written assignment3000 words max.100Same

Formative Assessment

One written piece of work to prepare for the summative assignment.

More information

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