Postgraduate Course: Transforming Economies: A Wellbeing Economy Agenda (fusion on-site) (EFIE11223)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh Futures Institute |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course will focus on understanding the nature of dominant economic models, their dynamics, and their relationship to the challenges of today's world: growth orientation and measures of progress; assumptions about human nature; economic biases; treatment of the environment; trade and business models; international institutions; and colonialisation.
It will examine alternative ways of approaching the economy (e.g., ecological economics, feminist economics, degrowth, doughnut economics, predistributive economic policy, prosocial business models, community wealth building, participatory democracy) to identify the demands and opportunities of the wellbeing economy.
The course will consider solutions that can create sustainable, just transitions in society which allows for a wellbeing economy. |
| Course description |
This course is an introduction to a cross-disciplinary approach to the concepts of the wellbeing economy. It provides an understanding of the dominant economic approaches, their dynamics, and their relationship to the challenges of today's world. The course examines growth orientation and measures of progress; assumptions about human nature; economic biases; treatment of the environment; trade and business models; international institutions; and colonialisation.
Through examining alternative ways of approaching the economy (e.g., ecological economics, feminist economics, degrowth, doughnut economics, predistributive economic policy, prosocial business models, community wealth building, participatory democracy) the course will identify the demands and opportunities of the wellbeing economy. Central to the course is the question of how to create sustainable, just transitions in society which allows for a wellbeing economy to flourish.
The course will use the '4Ps' framework of the wellbeing economy - Purpose, Prevention, Pre-distribution, People-powered - to appraise the prospects of the solutions on offer.
Students will examine:
a) The nature of current orthodox economic approaches.
b) Alternative conceptions of and approaches to growth dependent economic systems.
c) Alternative practices within a growth dependent economic system.
d) Challenges in changing economic mindsets.
e) How change happens.
The learning experience will be characterised by co-creation and peer-teaching with students actively engaged in generating materials that inform their fellow-students. A range of learning products and inputs, including from global thought leaders, will be utilised with a supportive environment where there can be provocation, dialogue, and expansive thinking and doing.
Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) - On-Site Fusion Course Delivery Information:
The Edinburgh Futures Institute will teach this course in a way that enables online and on-campus students to study together. This approach (our 'fusion' teaching model) offers students flexible and inclusive ways to study, and the ability to choose whether to be on-campus or online at the level of the individual course. It also opens up ways for diverse groups of students to study together regardless of geographical location. To enable this, the course will use technologies to record and live-stream student and staff participation during their teaching and learning activities.
Students should be aware that:
- Classrooms used in this course will have additional technology in place: students might not be able to sit in areas away from microphones or outside the field of view of all cameras.
- Unless the lecturer or tutor indicates otherwise you should assume the session is being recorded.
As part of your course, you will need access to a personal computing device. Unless otherwise stated activities will be web browser based and as a minimum we recommend a device with a physical keyboard and screen that can access the internet.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 20 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 8,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 4,
Other Study Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
82 )
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| Additional Information (Learning and Teaching) |
Other Study: Scheduled Group-work Hours (hybrid online/on-campus) - 4
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Summative Assessment:
The course will be assessed by means of the following assessment components:
1) 1000-1200 Word Article (100%)
There will be one summative assessment component in the form of an individual assessment.
A 1000-1200 word article written in a style that could be published, for a general audience, appropriately referenced which provides an exciting rational for the possibility of economic system change. Students will use the knowledge an innovative approaches gained in their group project to form the basis of their article. They will incorporate an analysis of the rationale for change and discuss at least one proof of concept, and draw in components of their group project.
This piece will be assessed on how students synthesise and make connections between areas of the wellbeing economy and its practical manifestation; the clarity of their writing; and their selection of proof of concept and how well it is situated within the wider wellbeing economy agenda.
Criteria will be:-critical understanding of the principal theories, drivers and challenges of the wellbeing economy agenda and understanding of relevant theories-ability to communicate at an appropriate level to a range of audiences and ability to distil messages, synthesise implications and present them in an accessible, compelling, and context-relevant manner-demonstration originality and/or creativity, including in practice by preparing interventions to advance a wellbeing economy, including awareness of how change happens. |
| Feedback |
Formative feedback will be given after presentations made during the 2-day intensive. This feedback aimed to encourage interactive contributions from the student community will help inform the final piece of assessment.
Written summative feedback will be provided on the final assessment. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Reflect on and engage with practical manifestations of change in policy and practice from around the world, and learn via different mechanisms, channels, and spaces.
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the principal theories, drivers, and challenges of the wellbeing economy agenda.
- Demonstrate originality and/or creativity, including in practice by preparing interventions to advance a wellbeing economy.
- Communicate at an appropriate level to a chosen audience and adapt communication to the context and purpose, having acquired knowledge and literacy to inform policy and practice on building economies for equity and sustainability.
- Work in teams sharing knowledge, and designing collaborate outputs.
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Reading List
Essential Reading:
Critique of Current Scenarios:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-018-0021-4/
(Good Life for All)
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/development-failed-project/
https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/america-land-of-the-dying-alarming-study-shows-u-s-killing-its-own-population
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/resources/spm-headline-statements
Vision of Alternative Scenarios:
https://www.tni.org/files/download/beyonddevelopment_debates.pdf
(Latin American Alternatives to Development)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39027958-a-finer-future
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00063-8/fulltext (Economics for people and planet-moving beyond the neoclassical paradigm)
https://timjackson.org.uk/ecologicaleconomics/pwg
http://repository.essex.ac.uk/12753/1/IJEHR%202015%20%28Pretty%20et%20al%29.pdf
(Improving health and well-being independently of GDP: dividends of greener and prosocial economies)
System Change:
https://cusp.ac.uk/themes/aetw/wp33/
(speaking to policy makers about postgrowth)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535220300021?via%3Dihub
(super policies and omnishambles)
https://www.fsg.org/resource/water_of_systems_change/
Further Reading:
Kasser, Tim. The High Price of Materialism. Cambridge, Mass: N.p., 2002. Print. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
This course will provide students with a curiosity for learning that will enable them to make a positive difference in the world. They will be encouraged to channel their passion to engage locally and globally with key issues. Skills and attributes developed will include critical analysis, openness and compassion to understand the global and the local issues people face, communication skills to engage with others and create collaborate responses, and research skills to curate and create evidence to substantiate theory and practice.
Knowledge and Understanding
- A critical understanding of a range of specialised theories, concepts and principles drawn from multiple disciplinary and practitioner perspectives.
- A critical awareness of current challenges and debates in an emerging research area involving multiple specialisms.
Applied Knowledge, skills and understanding
- Ability to apply critical knowledge to concrete case studies, research outputs, applications and proposals.
- Ability to identify potential challenges in a case study, as related to design, use and regulation.
- Ability to demonstrate originality and/or creativity, including in practice.
Generic Cognitive Skills
- Development of original and creative responses to problems and issues.
- Capacity to critically review, consolidate and extend knowledge, skills, practices and thinking across disciplines, subjects, and sectors.
- Ability to deal with complex issues and make informed judgements in situations in the absence of complete or consistent data/information
Communication, ICT, and Numeracy Skills
- Communication, using appropriate methods, to a range of audiences with different levels of knowledge/expertise.
- Ability to articulate clear and well-justified advisory recommendations.
Autonomy, Accountability, and Working with Others
- Skills to manage their own individual contribution to a group presentation or report.
- The ability to engage constructively and productively in critical debate. |
| Keywords | Economic Well-being,De-growth,Growth,Multi-level System Practice |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Liz Grant
Tel:
Email: Liz.Grant@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Yasmine Lewis
Tel:
Email: yasmine.lewis@ed.ac.uk |
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