Overview
Economic issues, such as unemployment, inequality, prosperity, and crises, permeate all facets of life. They fill news reports, employers’ statements, and even popular culture. At the same time, economics—the scientific endeavour of explaining such issues—is often considered impenetrable. This course shows that it does not have to be that way. It portrays economies from around the world and sketches their developments over time. It introduces labour and business views of the economy and their respective policy implications. Finally, it deals with the question of whether workers, rather than being employed by private or public enterprises, could manage their workplaces on their own behalves. News sources and songs, which broaden the perspective on workers and the economy beyond scholarly work, complement the textbooks for this course.
Evaluation
To receive credit for LBST 330, you must complete seven course assignments and achieve an overall grade of D (50 percent) or better for the entire course. The weighting of assignments is as follows:
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1 | 5% |
| Assignment 2 | 5% |
| Assignment 3 | 20% |
| Assignment 4 | 20% |
| Assignment 5 | 20% |
| Assignment 6 | 25% |
| Assignment 7 | 5% |
| Total | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Physical course materials
The following course materials are included in a course package that will be shipped to your home prior to your course’s start date:
Bowles. P. (2012). Capitalism. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.
Wolff, R. (2012). Democracy at work: A cure for capitalism. Chicago: Haymarket Books.
Yates, M. D. (2003). Naming the system: Inequality and work in the global economy. New York: Monthly Review Press.
Other Materials
All other course materials are available online.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the LBST 330 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on the take home challenge assignment.
Challenge for credit course registration form