Models and Methodology in Economics (Info for Erasmus Exchange Students)

Course Code: IKT220
Course Title: Models and Methodology in Economics
Type of Course: Elective
Level of Course: Undergraduate
Year of Study: 2
Semester: 2
Number of Credits: 3
Language of Instruction: Turkish
(the course maybe available in English during your visit, contact your Erasmus coordinator)
Lecturer: N. Emrah Aydınonat

Objevtive of the course
Students of economics often have difficulty in seeing the relation between economic models and the real world. The main aim of this course is to teach students about the nature of economic science and discuss how models of economics relate to the real world. The course also aims at familiarizing students with important topics in economics which will be discussed later in more advanced courses. Last but not the least, the course aims at teaching the nuts and bolts of essay writing to its students.

Course Contents
Week - Topics - Readings
1. Nuts and Bolts of Essay Writing [1]

2. Basic concepts in Philosophy of Science [2], [3], [4], [5], [9]
a. What is Science?
b. Models and Theories
c. Explanation and Prediction
d. Natural Sciences vs Social Sciences

3. Peculiarities of Economics I
a. Definition and Aim of Economics
b. Basic assumptions of Economics
c. Research Areas in Economics
Readings: [6], [9]

4. Peculiarities of Economics II
a. Rational Man
b. Maximization
c. Ceteris Paribus
d. The Invisible Hand
Readings: [7], [8], [9]

5. Unintended Consequences and the Invisible Hand I
Readings: [10], [11], [12], [13]

6. Unintended Consequences and the Invisible Hand II
Readings: [10], [11], [12], [13]

7. Explanation and Progress in Economics I
a. Case: Emergence of Money (Menger)
Readings: [10]

8. Explanation and Progress in Economics II
a. Case: Emergence of Money (Kyotaki-Wright and others)
Readings [10]

9. Explanation and Progress in Economics III
a. Case: Emergence of Racial Residential Segregation. (Thomas Schelling)
Readings: [10], [14], [15]

10. Explanation and Progress in Economics IV
a. Evaluation of Case Studies
Readings: [10], [14], [15]

11. Introduction to Basic Research Areas in Economics I
Readings:[16]

12. Introduction to Basic Research Areas in Economics II
Readings:[16]

13. Student Presentations

14. Student Presentations

Teaching Method
The main teaching method of this course is regular lectures given by the instructor. Students are required to read the material suggested by the instructor before every lecture and join the discussion during the lecture. Every student is required to prepare an essay for the course and present it at the end of the semester. The course has an electronic discussion list where students discuss topics related to the course.

Assessment Methods
Exam Duration ~1 hour
40 %: Class Activity (%20) + Quizzes (%40) + Midterm Exam (%40)
60 %: Final Exam (%70) + Essay (%30)

Prerequisites
- Introductory Economics

Recomemded Readings
[1] Harvey, M. (2003) Nuts and Bolts of College Writing, Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company.
[2] Comte-Sponville,A. (2000) Felsefeyi Takdimimdir (Presentations De La Philosophie), çev. S. S. Yılancıoğlu, İstanbul: Altın Kitaplar (s. 55 -64)
[3] Gordon, D. (2004) İktisadi Mantığa Giriş (An Introduction to Economic Resoning), çev.B. Akın, Ankara: Liberte Yay.
[4] Hospers, J. (1988) "Bilimsel Bilgi (Scientific Knowledge)" çev. N. E. Aydınonat, içinde: Hospers, J. (1988) An Introduction to Philosophical Analysis, Englewood: Prentice Hall. (Chapter 4)
[5] Rosenberg, A. (2000) Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction, London & New York: Routledge. (pp. 18 - 45)
[6] Reader: Major Economists and their definitions of Economics.
[7] Elster, J., (1989) Nuts and Bolts for the Social Sciences, Cambridge: Cambridge University Pres.
[8] Hausman, D. (1992) The Inexact and Separate Science of Economics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[9] Hausman, D. (ed.) (1994). The Philosophy of Economics: An Anthology. 2nd. ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Pres. (selected pages.)
[10] Aydinonat, N.E. (2008) The Invisible Hand in Economics: How Economists Explain Unintended Social Consequences, London: Routledge.
[11] Smith, A. (1789 [1904]) An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. London: Methuen and Co., Ltd., ed. Edwin Cannan. (First published in 1776, Cannan edition is based on the fifth edition which was published in 1789). [Online] available from http://www.econlib.org/library/Smith/smWN.html (selected passages)
[12] Smith, A. (1790) The Theory of Moral Sentiments. London: A. Millar. Sixth edition. (First edition published in 1759. Printed for A. Millar, in the Strand; and A. Kincaid and J. Bell in Edinburgh) [Online] available from http://www.econlib.org/library/Smith/smMS1.html (selected passages)
[13] Smith, A. (1795 [1980]). The Principles which Lead and Direct Philosophical Enquiries: Illustrated by the History of Astronomy. Essays on Philosophical Subjects. I. S. Ross. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 3: 1 - 105. (selected passages)
[14] Schelling, T. C. (1969) "Models of Segregation", American-Economic-Review, 59(2), pp.488-93.
[15] Schelling, T. C. (1971a) "Dynamic Models of Segregation" Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 1, pp. 143-86.
[16] Reader: Introduction to Basic Research Areas in Economics

Posted by N. Emrah AYDINONAT Pazar, Aralık 02, 2007  

Etiketler: İktisatta Yöntem