Have we entered a new Era of Social Organization: the Era of Financialization? Financialization is the increasing role of financial motives, financial markets, financial actors, and financial institutions in the operations of domestic and international economies. We could add, that financialization also increases all of these roles in the interaction with society more broadly. If we have have entered a new era of financialization: what does this mean about the way our economy works? Does it mean that the economy serves finance instead of finance serving the economy?

This course explores ethical questions and debates associated with a wide range of economic issues. The class will look at concepts of economic justice and fairness, motivations in economics, unintended consequences of economic choices, the role of government, corporate social responsibility, inequality, environmental challenges, and globalization. Satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BA-Econ majors.

Students will be asked to retrospectively analyze their experiences as workers and consumers, evaluating the impact of organizational forms and industry structure. How do cooperative enterprises (including those on campus such as the People's Market, Earthfoods, and Campus Design and Copy) differ from other enterprises? Students will also be asked to explicitly bring material they have learned in other classes to bear on these issues.

The course provides an introduction to the economics of Caribbean countries. Discussion of the basic characteristics of Caribbean economies, alternative theories and models of development, and a range of particular economic and social issues that are of policy importance.

This course provides an intermediate introduction to the topic of economic development, focusing on the relationship between economic growth, structural change, international insertion, and the expansion of the effective freedom of a country?s population. Besides relying on the student?s previous knowledge in microeconomics and macroeconomics, the course will introduce the student to the theoretical models and concepts specific to development economics, as well as to certain quantitative methods useful for the analysis of the process of economic development.

Intensive writing course dealing with various topics in economics. Fulfills the Junior Year Writing requirement for students whose primary major is Economics at UMass Amherst.

Intensive writing course dealing with various topics in economics. Fulfills the Junior Year Writing requirement for students whose primary major is Economics at UMass Amherst.

Intensive writing course dealing with various topics in economics. Fulfills the Junior Year Writing requirement for students whose primary major is Economics at UMass Amherst.

Economic development in the U.S. from colonial era to present. America as a raw materials producer, an agrarian society, and an industrial nation. Possible topics: development of economic systems, demographic trends, industrialization, regional development, growth of large-scale enterprise and organized labor, changing role of government. (GenEd. HS)

Choice-theoretic model of labor-leisure choice. Returns to education and occupational choice. Demand for labor. Minimum wages. Changing income distribution. Effect of household structure and tax system on income structure. Labor market discrimination. Compensating wage differentials. Unions.