Introduction to economic and social history

Duration

45h Th

Number of credits

Lecturer

Eric Geerkens

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

All year long, with partial in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The course consists of two parts.

The first part provides an introduction to economic analysis. This course differs from traditional teaching of economics in that it does not juxtapose micro and macro-economic theory. It presents the main paradigms of economic analysis (classical, neoclassical, Marxian and Keynesian), positions them in the history of economic thought and clearly underlines their differences. Elements of these currents of economic thought will be mobilized, as tools, in the second part of the course.

The second part of the course presents readings in economic and social history of the territories which make up contemporary Belgiu.

This part follows a twofold plan.

It then covers the period from 1850 to the mid-1970s, i.e. Industrialisation (including 'Second Industrialisation'), the inter-war period, the Second World War and the 'Thirty Glorious Years'. This section will identify the general characteristics of Belgian capitalism in economic terms (players, sectors and development dynamics, through growth and crises).

The outline of the course then becomes more thematic and is broken down into questions:

• The role of the State in economic life;
• The making of the classes and their evolution;
• The living conditions of the population;
• Class in itself, class for itself: the organisation of the workers' movement and employers' forces;
• The origin and development of the Belgian industrial relations system;
• From social insurances to the modern Belgian welfare system.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

Students will be able to identify the underlying theoretical framework in works of economic history which they read and thus to evaluate more accurately the results presented; they will be capable of better understanding the economic and social challenges of more political realities seen in other classes, as well as in the world around them.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

None

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

A pupil monitor is at the disposal of the students during most of the year (especially at the time of the examinations). The timing will be choosen jointly with the students.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course


Additional information:

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Recommended or required readings

Before each class, students will receive a copy of the PowerPoint slides wich will be seen in class and will regularly be given indications for reading which will shed light on certain questions (these optional readings will not, however, be on subjects upon which they will be graded). These slides are available on-line until the end of the academic year.

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( open-ended questions ) AND oral exam


Additional information:

Written test in January, on the first part of the course (Introduction to economic analysis) and oral exam in June.
The mark of the midterm exam in January will count for 1/3 of the June final mark if > or = 10/20. The mark will have no effect on the final grade if it doesn't reach 10/20 and the final exam will then be cumulative.
In Juny as in September, an oral exam will be organized; this exam will start with a written preparation of the answer to a first question (drawn question). This is followed by two other questions (linked to the first one; when you draw the first one, you actually draw the three questions) for which the preparation time will be shorter.

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

The presentation of the course has changed significantly. The number of slides has been reduced by around 20%, while the chronological coverage has been extended to the mid-1970s.

This has been made possible by adopting a partly thematic plan and by simplifying certain developments.

It will nevertheless be up to the students to master the chronology as a whole and, for example, to draw up a multi-component timeline for their use. This is an active way of learning the course.

Contacts

Eric Geerkens, professor quai Roosevelt, 1B (Bât. A4, office I9) 4000 Liège Belgium
Tel. ULg : +32 4 3665359 E-mail : e.geerkens@uliege.be

Association of one or more MOOCs

Items online