Course Topics
Economic theory, both standard economics and eco-social economics, based on an overview about the history of economic thought; discourse about sustainable development; the necessary new configuration of the economic realm and the concept of labour; action principles and social contracts for the construction of a sustainable socio economic system; the critical analysis of some potential alternative models of economic system, like “sharing Economy”, different kinds of “circular economy” and welfare system, like Commonfare (Welfare of the Commonwealth).

Propaedeutic courses
none

Teaching format
Frontal lectures, group discussions

Educational objectives
Knowledge and understanding Students will have developed their own individual project practice and will be able to: - understanding the social, cultural, economic and environmental dimensions of projects and contexts - understand the relationships between environment, economy, society and politics Applying knowledge and understanding: Students will be able to: - develop projects and practices suitable for addressing complex challenges. Making judgements Students will be able to judging independently and critically: - the contribution of a project to local and regional economic cycles and to increasing solidarity relations Communication skills Students will be able to: - show how the social, ecological and economic aspects of sustainability interact in their projects Learning skills Students will be able to: - work independently to learn according to different situations and in a personal way through reading and studying

Additional educational objectives and learning outcomes
Developing a critical ability to analyse the increasingly urgent problems that characterise the current socio-economic system.

Assessment
Presentation and oral discussion of a brief written report on the arguments discussed during the lectures. The report deals with theoretical issues and/or specific case-studies, previously agreed with the teacher. Non-attending students have the same assessment criteria as Attending students. All assignments and projects need to be done, and the required knowledge has to be acquired. The exam of non-attending students may take longer (max. 20 minutes) in order to test specific knowledge in relation to the course topic.

Evaluation criteria
- Relevance, appropriateness and originality of the written report with regard to an eco-social economic transformation - Quality of the discussion related to eco-social economics (clarity of answers, ability of using scientific language as well as of its transformation into language of the daily life, ability to summarize, evaluate, and establish relationships between topics) - Ability to critical reflect different economic concepts and their proposals for a transformation towards sustainability

Required readings

The teaching material is available on the course website: slides, articles and short reports.

Supplementary readings

K. Raworth, Doughnut. Seven ways to think like a 21st century economist, Chelsea Green Publishing, Vermont, Usa, 2018;

M. Bauwens, The political economy of peer production, CTheory, 2005;

Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Towards the Circular Economy: an economic and business rationale for an accelerated transition, 2012;

A. Fumagalli, “Twenty Thesis on Contemporary Capitalism (Bio-cognitive Capitalism)”, in Andrea Fumagalli, Alfonso Giuliani, Stefano Lucarelli, Carlo Vercellone Cognitive Capitalism, Welfare and Labour. The Commonfare Hypothesis, Routledge, London, 2019, pp. 61-76.

For Italian readers: A. Fumagalli, Economia politica del comune, Derive Approdi, Roma, 2017.

Further information
Students are encouraged to share any concrete experiences of social experiments in which they may be involved.