ECON1000: Introductory Economics - at Curtin University

This unit provides some powerful tools for understanding how economies work. It introduces the concepts and methods of experimental and behavioural economics; models of economic growth, business cycles, and financial crises; macroeconomic indicators of economic growth, unemployment, and inflation; and tools to understand and evaluate monetary, fiscal, and other economic policies. Economics affects everything in our lives—what we earn, how we work, where we learn, what we consume, how much we waste; the list goes on. An understanding of economics is critical in an uncertain world, where market forces have such a significant influence on our lives. Any student undertaking a course in commerce or business at the undergraduate level requires an understanding of economics—how people make decisions (rational or otherwise), economic policy, challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on global economic recovery and decent work progress, sustainable economic growth and productivity, climate change dilemmas and so on. A good grasp of introductory principles of economics is crucial if we, as student collaborators and critical social-ecological observers, are to make informed judgements about solving real-world problems.