Skip to main content

Economics of the Family (340-0-20)

Instructors

Matthias Doepke

Meeting Info

2122 Sheridan Rd Classroom 250: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

The course applies economic analysis to the family. Topics covered include the economics of marriage and divorce, bargaining within the household, household production, and the economics of fertility. The specific questions addressed by the course fall into two categories. On the one hand, the course uses economics to understand the family, such as who marries whom, and how many children (if any) people choose to have. On the other hand, the course also considers the wider implications for family decisions for the economy at large, such as the repercussions of assortative mating in marriage for inequality in a society, and the relevance of family decisions for long-run economic development.

Registration Requirements

ECON 281-0, ECON 310-1, ECON 310-2

Learning Objectives

N/A

Teaching Method

Two 80-minute lectures per week

Evaluation Method

3 problem sets/class projects (40 %), midterm exam (20 %), and final exam (40 p%)

Class Materials (Required)

Love, Money, and Parenting by Matthias Doepke and Fabrizio Zilibotti, ISBN-13: 978-0691171517. Other reading material will be available on Canvas.

Class Materials (Suggested)

NONE

Class Notes

NONE

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Economics Majors & Minors until the end of preregistration, after which time enrollment will be open to everyone who has taken the prerequisites. Pre-requisite: Students must have taken ECON 310-1 or MMSS 211-1 and ECON 281 or ECON 381-1 or MATH 386-1 or IEMS 304 or STAT 350 to successfully enroll in this course.

Associated Classes

DIS - Harris Hall L07: Fri 1:00PM - 1:50PM