Module Identifier RS14320  
Module Title AN INTRODUCTION TO THE RURAL ECONOMY  
Academic Year 2006/2007  
Co-ordinator Dr Michael Christie  
Semester Semester 2  
Other staff Dr Brian J Garrod  
Course delivery Lecture   3 x 1 hour lectures per week  
  Practical   2 x 3 hour workshops during semester  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Assessment 3 x Exercise Sheets Outcomes assessed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7  30%
Semester Exam2 Hours Outcomes assessed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8  70%
Supplementary Exam2 Hours Outcomes assessed: All  100%

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to:

1. Describe and apply basic principles of economics to rural issues.
2. Relate economic behaviour at the household and rural firm level to aggregate changes in the countryside.
3. Discuss the principles of business accounts and appraisal.
4. Explain linkages between the overall economy and prospects for agriculture and other rural industries.
5. Evaluate the arguments for and against agricultural trade liberalisation.
6. describe the framework of rural policy in the United Kingdom and Western Europe;
7. describe government policies relating to agriculture, conservation and the rural economy, at present and in the recent past;
8. assess the effectiveness of interventions by governments and their agencies in achieving their objective and targets.

Aims

This module will consider the economic principles that underlie government intervention in agricultural, rural and regional policy. The development of an understanding of the fundamental economic relationships will enable opportunities and problems for rural areas to be discussed and appropriate policy responses to be identified. Lecture material will include:

Module Skills

Problem_solving Exercise sheets will set students particular problems that will require the application of economic principles and basic economic tools in order to solve them. Exercise sheets are to be assessed.  
Communication Students will be required to write using appropriate economic terms and to communicate their understanding of economic concepts as they apply to rural issues. This will be assessed through the examination.  
Application of Number Some economic principles require numerical approaches, and both the exercise sheets and the short-answer examination questions will require evidence of the development of these skills. Exercise sheets are to be assessed.  

Reading Lists

Books
** General Text
Begg D, Fischer S and Dornbusch R (2005) Economics Prentice Hall 0077107756
Brassley P (1997) Agricultural economics and the CAP: an introduction Blackwell Science 0632041374
Hill B (1990) An introduction to economics for students of agriculture 2nd. Pergamon 0080374980
Hill B E and Ingersent K A (1982) An economic analysis of agriculture 2nd. Heinemann Educational Books 0435844091
Hodge I (1995) Environmental economics Macmillan Press, London 033357771X
Penson J B, Capps O and Parr C P (2001) Introduction to agricultural economics Prentice Hall 0131195723
Ritson, C (1987) Agricultural economics: principles and policy Blackwell 0632024852
Sloman J (2002) Economics 4th. FT Prentice Hall 0273655744
Sloman J and Sutcliffe M (2002) Economics workbook 4th. FT Prentice Hall 0273658646
Strak J (1989) Rural pluriactivity in the UK NEDC
Tracy M (1993) Food and agriculture in a market economy Belgium: Agricultural Policy Studies 2960004701
Tracy M (1989) Government and agriculture in western Europe 1880 - 1988 3rd. Harvester Wheatsheaf 0745005500

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 4