Evolutionary Economics

3 credits

This course uses evolutionary biology to better understand the psychology of preferences, a central concept in economics. Why are people risk averse? Impatient? What explains novelty seeking, habits, addictions? What makes parents provide for children? We will use evolutionary thinking to explore these and a host of other diverse topics: violence, adolescent risk taking, sexual behavior, mating preferences, marriage and divorce, rearing and investing in children, extended families, trade and specialization, cooperation and conflict, cults and gangs, religion, and interactions between genetic and cultural forces. This course has an intensive research and writing requirement and enrollment is limited. You should be comfortable using Stata. Prerequisites: Micro theory and econometrics.