Title: Towards a dialogical undergraduate introductory economics course

Authors: Indradeep Ghosh; Benjamin Wolcott

Addresses: Stokes 118C, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041, USA ' 7817 Marion Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA

Abstract: We argue that present-day introductory economics courses do not prepare students for the actual economic reality that they encounter in their everyday lives. This is because the content of present-day Intro Econ courses has little connection to the multi-dimensional, multi-faceted nature of economic reality, and is instead monological in its approach, privileging a very particular approach to conceptualising and solving economic problems. We propose, instead, a dialogical Intro to Econ course that adopts a pluralist orientation and, in particular, emphasises dialogue between ontologies, perspectives, and methodologies, so that students will achieve a more integrated understanding of economic problems and develop critical thinking skills that are unavailable to them within the rubric of present-day introductory economics courses.

Keywords: pluralism; economics education; monological courses; introductory economics; dialogical courses; ontologies; perspectives; methodologies; undergraduate economics; higher education; economic reality; critical thinking.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPEE.2014.066687

International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education, 2014 Vol.5 No.3, pp.230 - 241

Received: 12 Mar 2014
Accepted: 23 Nov 2014
Published online: 14 Jan 2015 *

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