EC4420 Inequality and Redistribution

Academic year

2025 to 2026 Semester 1

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

20

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Planned timetable

When confirmed, check online https://timetables.st-andrews.ac.uk/.

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr T P Bui

Dr T P Bui
This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Thanh Bui

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

The module is designed to foster an understanding of economic inequality both from theoretical and practical perspectives. It mainly aims to convey how economists approach and deal with inequalities of income, wealth and consumption of inequalities of non-income variables such as health or education both between individuals and between social groups such as gender or ethnic groups. How different inequalities are assessed by international institutions such as World Bank and how relevant policies are produced in return are of main concerns of the module. The driving forces of economic inequality and its relation to other economic criteria such as growth are analysed as well from a historical global perspective.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

PERMISSION OF THE ECONOMICS HONOURS ADVISER

Assessment pattern

2-hour Written Examination = 50%, Coursework (incl. Class Test 25%) = 50%

Re-assessment

2-hour Written Examination = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

20 hours of lectures over 11 weeks, 1-hour tutorial (x 5 weeks).

Scheduled learning hours

25

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

175

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Understand and evaluate the economic concept of inequality.
  • Assess and compare different measurement techniques.
  • Understand different of inequality issues and policies to deal with them
  • Grasp the relation of inequality with other economic criteria
  • Review the evolution and driving forces of economic inequality