The Wellbeing Economy URBAN5140

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Social and Political Sciences
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

This course will examine the features of a Wellbeing Economy, where economies are designed to achieve social goals equitably and within planetary boundaries. It will take the form of '10 lessons' which will seek to broaden the horizons of students by exposing them to a diversity of economic thinking, critique and policy.

Timetable

2 hours in-person seminar per week x 10 weeks, plus 2 hours asynchronous online study for week 1, followed by 3 hours asynchronous online study x 9 weeks.

Requirements of Entry

Entry into relevant Masters Programmes.

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Written assignment (essay)

This will constitute 70% of the overall marks. Students will be given a choice of essay topics derived from materials covered over the course (described in more detail in the course handbook). Standard arrangements for additional time will be made for students in particular circumstances.  

 

Oral assessment and presentation

This will constitute 30% of the overall marks. Students will be asked to present for up to 7 minutes on their field observations of examples of economic activity across different parts of Glasgow, and to critically interpret these and consider implications for economic design, theory and teaching. This would be done by convening a series of small groups with 10 students presenting over the course of 2 hours in a tutorial room. The students not presenting at any time would be expected to participate in the questions and discussion of their peers presentations. Further details will be provided in the course handbook.

Course Aims

The aims of this course are to deepen students' appreciation of plural economics thinking through the prism of a Wellbeing Economy and to develop the ability to think critically about economic policy design and apply pluralist economic insights to current challenges.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Synthesise and critically evaluate the contribution of pluralist economics approaches and how a Wellbeing Economy is conceptualized; 

2. Generate insights into how current societal challenges may be effectively tackled by applying pluralist economic approaches to current societal challenges; 

3. Develop new critical analyses by applying pluralist economics approaches to real-world problems in Glasgow they identify.

4. Critically appraise, interpret, and communicate complex pluralist economic ideas.

5. Take responsibility for the critical evaluation of the application of different pluralist economic approaches to address current challenges.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.