Every society in history has had an economic system of some sort. It is only in recent history that economic systems have come to be dominated by markets.

In this course we will critically examine a wide variety of social theories, historical texts and contemporary approaches to understanding the role of an economy in society. We will explore many types of economic systems including, reciprocity based/gift economies, redistributive based economies, households, markets, finance, social economies, communialism, communism, anarchism, Owenism, socialism, capitalist economies, and post-capitalist economies.

By taking this approach, students will be encouraged to think of economics, not as a set of abstract mathematical formulae, but as a set of social relations that have a direct impact on society, individuals and our planet’s biosphere.