Advanced Economics with Justice

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Advanced Economics – from John de Val (tutor)

In Advanced Economics we are studying a book called ‘Extreme Economies’ by Richard Davies. The book 'looks at the economic arrangements of people living at the world’s margins. From disaster zones and refugee camps to failed states, high-security prisons and hidden rainforest communities, the lives of those who inhabit these little-known places offer interesting insights into the forces that underly human resilience, help markets to function and cause them to fail' (extract from publicity blurb).

Last term we looked at chapters describing the economies at two refugee camps for Syrians in Jordan, Louisiana State penitentiary, Kinshasa in Congo, deprived areas of Glasgow and the digital economy of Estonia. They provide fascinating examples of how conditions at the point of interaction shape people's economic lives and provide interesting insights into what gets used as money, how markets evolve, the importance of meeting social needs and issues raised by the adoption of artificial intelligence.

It is not necessary to have read these chapters to join the group as each chapter is more or less 'standalone' The remaining chapters are on the area of Indonesia devastated by the tsunami, the Panama/Colombian border, how Japan is addressing the challenge of an ageing population, and Santiago, Chile. 

Advanced Economics meets on a Tuesday evening at 7.00pm

Other courses available