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Description
This module combines a discussion of modern economic history with analysis of economic theory, so as to provide proper context for the ideas, as they appeared throughout the last two centuries. Each week covers one major topic. About two thirds of the time will be devoted to questions of actual historical economic developments, the remaining one third to history of economic ideas.听
Topics include, for example, the interaction between institutions and economic development, the demographic transition, market integration, the causes and consequences of technological change, the emergence of modern schooling, the rise and fall of slavery and serfdom, the Great Depression and others on the economic history side; the birth of economics, the debate over free trade in 19th century Europe, the Malthusian trap, the marginalist revolution, the Keynesian critique and the rise of modern growth theory on the history of thought side.
The course is comparative in its geographic focus: in considering the trends in economic history, we look not only at Britain, Holland and the US but also at the countries of Eastern and Central Europe. The overarching theme in modern economic history of Eastern and Central Europe is the effort to catch up economically with the West. The comparative aspect consists in seeing how policies and activities, employed in the West, succeeded or failed in the East- and Central-European context and how specific developmental features of the region contributed to, or detracted from, the long-term economic development.
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 19th August 2024.
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