ECON 496: Special Topics in Economics

ECON 496-003: Economics, Biology & Genetics
(Spring 2023)

10:30 AM to 01:10 PM T

Music Theater Building 1008

Section Information for Spring 2023

This course will cover new and old research at the intersection of economics, biology, and genetics. We will address questions such as: Do nature and nurture influence economic behavior and outcomes, and how? Are there genetic variants that influence economic preferences and outcomes? What are the effects of brain neurochemistry on economic decision-making? We’ll discuss important policy issues such as the implications (or lack thereof) of these findings for inequality, intergenerational mobility, and for economists and policy makers generally; the implications of the rapidly improving predictive power of genetic data; and the implications of new technologies that allow some form of genetic selection or engineering. The course will involve engaged discussion of important academic articles. It will involve a mixture of lectures and seminar-style discussions during which we will discuss the weekly readings. The course requires a good understanding of introductory econometrics and statistics, but no previous background in biology or genetics is required. 

Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Subject matter varies. Notes: May be repeated when topic is different. May be repeated within the term for a maximum 24 credits.
Specialized Designation: Topic Varies
Schedule Type: Lec/Sem #1, Lec/Sem #2, Lec/Sem #3, Lec/Sem #4, Lec/Sem #5, Lec/Sem #6, Lec/Sem #7, Lec/Sem #8, Lec/Sem #9, Lecture, Sem/Lec #10, Sem/Lec #11, Sem/Lec #12, Sem/Lec #13, Sem/Lec #14, Sem/Lec #15, Sem/Lec #16, Sem/Lec #17, Sem/Lec #18
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.