Summer 2021 - ECON 455W D100

Seminar in Economic Development (3)

Class Number: 2882

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 12 – Aug 9, 2021: Fri, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    ECON 333 with a minimum grade of C-.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Topics in economic development. Students with credit for ECON 455 may not take this course for further credit. Writing/Quantitative.

COURSE DETAILS:

This seminar-format course introduces students to a variety of topics in modern development economics. The topics will be drawn from both microeconomic and macroeconomic perspectives and will make use of both formal modeling and data analysis. The main goal is to better understand why, across time and space, some populations achieve greater wealth than others.

The course will be conducted remotely this semester, and class will meet via Zoom during the scheduled class time. Students are required to have their cameras on during class discussion, so you will require reliable access to the internet as well as a device equipped with a webcam and microphone. The assignments require written submissions, so you will also need reliable access to applications for word processing and presentations (MS Office is freely available to SFU students).  

Grading: 

This is a writing-intensive course so several types of written assignments will account for most of the final grade. The first type is a weekly “worksheet” which is an opportunity to write comments, questions and a summary related to the assigned weekly discussion papers. Second, each student will write a term paper on a development topic that particularly interests them, proposing an original research topic (but not necessarily executing it), and justifying it by relating it to the existing literature. As a preliminary step, each student will locate one particularly relevant/central article on their topic and provide a written executive summary as well as present it in front of the class. Interim and final feedback will be given on all written work. Finally, there will be an in-class exam held around week 11.

Topics:

We will likely cover material related to the general topics of economic institutions, culture, political institutions, community networks, fertility, conflict, and gender issues.




Grading

  • Discussion worksheets 20%
  • Executive summary 10%
  • Presentation 10%
  • Term paper 20%
  • Term exam 25%
  • Participation 15%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

There is no required text. Taking notes in class, along with various articles that I will make available, will be sufficient.


Department Undergraduate Notes:

Please note that, as per Policy T20.01, the course requirements (and grading scheme) outlined here are subject to change up until the end of the first week of classes.

Final exam schedules will be released later in the semester. This will allow students to avoid enrollment conflicts, and will significantly reduce instances of exam hardship. If your course has a final exam, please ensure that you are available during the final exam period (August 10th -20th) until you receive confirmation of your exam dates. 

Students requiring accommodations as a result of a disability must contact the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) at 778-782-3112 or caladmin@sfu.ca.

***NO TUTORIALS DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES***

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN SUMMER 2021

Teaching at SFU in summer 2021 will be conducted primarily through remote methods, but we will continue to have in-person experiential activities for a selection of courses.  Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).