Title: Text and anti-text in teaching the economics of the firm

Authors: Rod Hill; Tony Myatt

Addresses: Department of Social Science, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4L5, Canada. ' Department of Economics, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada

Abstract: How can an instructor facilitate a critical examination of the theory of the firm found in mainstream microeconomics principles texts? We suggest not presenting a single alternative paradigm, where students might feel constrained to choose one over the other, but rather an 'anti-text' that shows a variety of different critical perspectives. The limitations as well as the ideology of the mainstream texts are revealed both by what they say and what they don't, by the evidence that is ignored and by the myths that are perpetuated. Attempts by firms to influence consumer demand and the legal, regulatory and political environment are off limits for mainstream texts; in addition firms such as non-profits and cooperatives are ignored. The focus is on the mythical perfectly competitive firm with 'u'-shaped costs, constricting it to remain a small, powerless, price-taking entity.

Keywords: microeconomic principles; theory of the firm; critical perspectives; economics textbooks; pedagogy; perfect competition; microeconomics texts.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPEE.2012.049182

International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education, 2012 Vol.3 No.2, pp.144 - 144

Published online: 16 Aug 2014 *

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