| Course title | Pluralism in economic thoughts |
|---|---|
| Course code | DAS/PEV |
| Organizational form of instruction | Seminary |
| Level of course | Bachelor |
| Year of study | not specified |
| Semester | Winter and summer |
| Number of ECTS credits | 4 |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Status of course | Compulsory-optional |
| Form of instruction | Face-to-face |
| Work placements | This is not an internship |
| Recommended optional programme components | None |
| Course availability | The course is available to visiting students |
| Lecturer(s) |
|---|
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| Course content |
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Course content Module 1: Theoretical foundation Week 1 (lecture). Informal economy as a phenomenon and as a concept. Its specificity in an Asia context. Questions and structure of the course. Week 2 (lecture). Informal economy through the lengths of economics. Legal aspects of informality. Week 3 (lecture). Informal economy through the lengths of sociology and anthropology. Module 2: North-East Asia Week 4 (seminar). Informal Labor Markets in China and South Korea. Rural-urban migration and informal employment. The role of informal work in global supply chains Week 5 (seminar). Cross-border informal activities. China - North Korea; China - Mongolia; China - Russia cases Module 3: Central Asia Week 6 (film screening). Informality in post-Soviet space. Institutional barriers. Bazaars and small businesses in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The documentaries "Kyrgyzstan's Post- Soviet Nomads" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjnY92HfG-E & "Workers Go Hungry As Central Asia's Largest Bazaar Stands Empty" https://youtu.be/DMkBLQ5aU2A (to be specified) Week 7 (seminar). Post-socialist transition in agriculture. Rural informality in Tajikistan & Uzbekistan Module 4: South Asia Week 8 (seminar OR film screening). Informal finance in India and Bangladesh: lending practices, cross-border money transfer, microfinance institutions (to be specified) Week 9 (seminar). Domestic work and gender aspect of informality in India and Nepal Module 5: South-East Asia Week 10 (seminar): Informality in street vending, domestic work, and small-scale manufacturing in Indonesia and Vietnam. Week 11 (seminar OR film screening). Cross-border trade in wildlife in Vietnam and Malaysia. Module 6. Concluding session. Week 12. Debate "Which role does the informal economy play in poverty alleviation?"
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| Learning activities and teaching methods |
| unspecified |
| Learning outcomes |
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Economics and Political Economy as sciences born to serve economic domination and, for a long time, were used to justify racial capitalism. They remain fundamentally Eurocentric, often too abstract and disconnected from a practical understanding of how various economic powers operate. Hence, these disciplines require liberation, knowledge decolonization, and an explicit discussion of the moral dilemmas, the inequality and exploitation they inevitability produce. Through a focus on informal -- or more accurately, the "real" -- economies across four macro-regions (North-East Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, and South-East Asia), this course invites students to think critically about the multiplicity and complexity of economic thoughts. The course begins with an introduction to the theoretical concepts surrounding informal economies (sessions 1-3). From sessions 4 to 11, students will discuss and analyse the most pressing and region-specific informal practices. For example, when discussing North-East Asia, we will explore topics such as migration, informal labour markets, and cross-border economic activities. In the context of Central Asia, we will focus on post-socialist transformation and the institutional barriers that contribute to the rise of the informal sector. Throughout the course, students will examine case studies and field data and engage with documentary and ethnographic films to deepen their understanding of informal economies in Asian contexts. In the sessions designated as 'seminars,' each student will be required to give at least one presentation. The final session will take the form of a debate, where students will discuss national and local public policies regarding the informal economy, offering diverse perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for formalizing informal sectors. The final exam will be conducted in a 'take home test' format when each student will be given one question to which they will have to prepare a written answer (a-la essay) within 24 hours. Literature: Portes, Alejandro, Manuel Castells and Lauren A. Benton, eds. (1989) The Informal Economy: Studies in Advanced and Less Developed Countries. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press. Cling, Jean-Pierre & Razafindrakoto, Mireille & Roubaud, Francois. (2012). The informal economy in Asia: introduction to the issue. Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy. 17. Marinescu, C., & Valimăreanu, M. I. (2019). The main currents (schools) of thought about the informal economy. Review of International Comparative Management / Revista de Management Comparat International, 20(3), 312-316
Ability to approach the multiplicity and complexity of real-world economies from different perspectives; Presenting coherent, well-supported arguments; Research project design; Data collection and analysis, including working with visual and digital data. |
| Prerequisites |
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unspecified
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| Assessment methods and criteria |
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unspecified
Attendance is compulsory (12% = 12*1). Participation in the debate gives students 8%. For the presentation, students choose any of the proposed topics (30%). The final ("take home") exam counts 50%. |
| Recommended literature |
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| Study plans that include the course |
| Faculty | Study plan (Version) | Category of Branch/Specialization | Recommended semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Indonesian Studies (2022) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2023) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Vietnamese Philology (2023) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Asian Studies, Specialization Indonesian Language and Culture (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Asian Studies (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Asian Studies, Specialization Vietnamese Language and Culture (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Korean Studies (2023) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Korean for Business (2023) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Indonesian Studies for Tourism (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Korean Studies (2022) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Vietnamese Philology (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Asian Studies, Specialization Korean Language and Culture (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Asian Studies, Specialization Chinese Language and Culture (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Korean for Business (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Chinese Studies (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts | Study plan (Version): Asian Studies, Specialization Japanese Language and Culture (2019) | Category: Philological sciences | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: - |