Family Economics and Policy
| Module title | Family Economics and Policy |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEE2035 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Sonia Oreffice (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 0 | 11 | 0 |
Module description
The module examines the nature and behaviour of households in modern economies. The module will introduce a supply and demand model of the marriage/partnership market, the analysis of household production and division of labour in the family, gains from marriage/partnership, matching in the marriage/partnership market, divorce, intra-household bargaining, economics of fertility, and birth control. The module contains both theoretical and empirical components and will include the interpretation of estimates from econometric analysis.
Module aims - intentions of the module
- Provide students with the microeconomic tools needed to analyse fundamental contemporary questions concerning the individuals’ behaviour inside and outside the family.
- Help students to understand contemporary issues in economics and public policy and society overall, concerning the formation and dissolution of families, race inequalities, work and family decisions, and children.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. apply economics to fundamental contemporary questions concerning individuals behaviour inside and outside the family.
- 2. apply standard economic principles to the analysis of marriage/partnership, divorce, fertility, division of labour, childcare.
- 3. describe the main features of, and trends in, the UK household patterns and family policies.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. interpret relevant data and empirical findings
- 5. assess appropriate policies for various social problems
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. demonstrate awareness of the role of numerical evidence in Economics
- 7. demonstrate written communication skill
Syllabus plan
Indicative content includes:
- Analysis of the economic aspects of the family.
- Development and application of microeconomic tools to the study of households and their interaction in the economy.
- The marriage market, basic and extended model (matching)
- Intra-household bargaining; Divorce
- Fertility; sex ratio and its imbalances
- Household production and the division of labour
- Family policies
The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:
- enhance skills in analytical and critical thinking, and in written and verbal presentation
- appreciate the complexities of decision making, weighing theory and practice
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | 122 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 22 | Lectures : 11 lectures of 2 hours each |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 5 | Tutorials: 5 tutorials of 1 hour each |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 1 | Revision |
| Guided independent study | 122 | Reading, research, reflection; preparation for lectures, tutorials and assessments |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorial questions | In class | 1-7 | In class feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 100 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 30 | 40 minutes | 1-7 | Individual feedback |
| Final exam | 70 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 1-7 | Indicative solutions on ELE |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test (30%) | Test (30%) - 40 minutes | 1-7 | August/September Reassessment Period |
| Final examination (70%) | Examination (1 hour 30 minutes) (70%) | 1-7 | August/September Reassessment Period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
Essential Reading
Hoffman, S.D., Averett, S. (2021), “Women and the Economy: Family, Work, and Pay” , fourth edition. Additional readings (excerpts of recent research articles, policy reports, and articles from The Economist) will be assigned. The exact references will be provided by the instructor.
Recommended Reading
Eswaran, M. (2014), “Why gender matters in economics”, Princeton University press
Background Reading
Becker, G. (1991) A Treatise on the Family. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press.
Becker, G. (1992), “The economic way of looking at life”, Nobel Lecture.
Blau, F.D., Ferber, M.A., Winkler, A.E. (2006) The economics of women, men, and work, Pearson Prentice Hall
Browning, M., Chiappori, PA, Weiss, Y. (2014) Economics of the Family, Cambridge University Press
The Economist providing contextual articles and current examples.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
ELE – College to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | BEE1036 and BEE1037 or BEE1029 |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 09/03/2018 |
| Last revision date | 23/09/2021 |
