Postgraduate Course: Transforming Economies: A Wellbeing Economy Agenda (Online) (EFIE11525)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh Futures Institute |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| 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, pre-distributive 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 allow 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) - Online Hybrid Course Delivery Information:
The Edinburgh Futures Institute will teach this course in a way that enables online and on-campus students to study together. 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 note that their interactions may be recorded and live-streamed (see the Lecture Recording and Virtual Classroom policies for more details). There will, however, be options to control whether or not your video and audio are enabled.
You will need access to a personal computing device for this course. Most activities will take place in a web browser, unless otherwise stated. We recommend using a device with a screen, a physical keyboard, and internet access.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
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 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 5,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The course will be assessed by means of the following components:
1) Reflective Journal (25%)
Students will incorporate their first two weekly reflections into a 1,000 word reflective journal of the whole course with further comments on guest lectures, and discussions from the course Students should incorporate how the perspectives of other students resonated with their findings and understanding of materials, guest talks and group activities.
Students will be assessed on their ability to reflect on and engage with practical manifestations of change in policy and practice. This will include demonstration of (i) quality of expression; (ii) rigour, clarity and structure of argument and analysis; (iii) engagement with academic literature or professional sources and context; and (iv) knowledge and understanding of subject matter.
Learning Outcomes Assessed by Component: 1, 2, 5
2) Article (75%)
A 1,000 word article written in a style that could be published, for a general audience, e.g., National geographic, The Conversation, appropriately referenced which provides an exciting rationale for economic system change. Students will use this knowledge to develop innovative approaches gained in their in-class group projects to form 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.
Learning Outcomes Assessed by Component: 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Feedback |
Feedback on any formative assessment may be provided in various formats, for example, to include written, oral, video, face-to-face, whole class, or individual. The Course Organiser will decide which format is most appropriate in relation to the nature of the assessment.
Feedback on both formative and summative in-course assessed work will be provided in time to be of use in subsequent assessments within the course.
Feedback on the summative assessment(s) will be provided in written form via Learn, the University of Edinburgh's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
Formative Feedback Opportunity:
Formative feedback is ongoing feedback which monitors learning and is intended to improve performance in the same course, in future courses, and also beyond study.
During the first two weeks students will write two 400 word weekly reflections on key readings,
Students will share their reflections online and comment on each others contributions.
Students will receive feedback on their ability to reflect on and engage with practical manifestations of change in policy and practice. This will include demonstration of: (i) quality of expression; (ii) rigour, clarity and structure of argument and analysis; (iii) engagement with academic literature or professional sources and context; and (iv) knowledge and understanding of subject matter. |
| 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 |
Not entered |
| 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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