The course addresses the fundamental principles undergirding the theoretical and empirical foundations of macroeconomics at the intermediate level. In this regard, it uses a combination of mathematical and intuitive analysis to provide some understanding of the subject area. The application of analysis that comes mainly from studies of the more developed economies, offers lessons that are valuable for all countries including the Caribbean.
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This course will therefore be devoted to provoking critical thinking about the political, economic and social challenges and opportunities in the implementation of ICTs for e-Government and in the wider context of e-Governance. It will introduce the student to a variety of theoretical ways of thinking about technology within the broader framework of political science. This is important because convergence of ICTs is reshaping traditional methods of social discourse and the way we interact; exacerbating traditional methods of how knowledge and information are created, managed and utilized as a competitive asset for development; redefining core concepts in contemporary political life such as power, sovereignty, privacy, security, representation, accountability, transparency, individual rights, liberty, democracy, moral agency and ethics. Moreover, the assertion those developing countries will be able to leapfrog traditional technologies and engage newer ones to realise their development goals, have also not been realised. By studying e-governance, students will not only be investigating technical issues, but also the less overt political machinations that go into how these technologies are being used in making decisions about how to engineer information infrastructure for political agendas and the significant implications for political life.
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This course aims to give students an introduction, to contemporary trends in sociological theory. At its core, the course examines a range of theoretical debates that have acquired international prominence in recent years.
Sociological theory unavoidably has to be approached from an international perspective. This is due to, on the one hand, the universalising claims inherent in many contemporary theoretical approaches and, on the other hand, the proliferation of sociology, sociologists, and sociology departments throughout the world. At the same time, however, questions remain as to the scope of relevance of internationally dominant theories that emanate from leading sociology departments and publishing houses in Western Europe and North America. The present course addresses this tension by introducing students to a broad range of contemporary theories and interrogating their importance to social research in the Caribbean.
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This course introduces the student to the unique characteristics of the Caribbean economy. It highlights the challenges and opportunities. The impact of globalisation on small economies of the Caribbean as well as the challenges and possibilities associated with economic integration within the region will be explored.
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The course is intended to be a general introduction to the discipline of comparative politics and government. It will clarify and synthesise some of the major theoretical directions found in the literature. The emphasis will be on the examination and assessment of the major theoretical trends, as well as themes in approaches to and concepts in the study of comparative politics.
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This course aims to give students an introduction, to contemporary trends in sociological theory. At its core, the course examines a range of theoretical debates that have acquired international prominence in recent years.
Sociological theory unavoidably has to be approached from an international perspective. This is due to, on the one hand, the universalising claims inherent in many contemporary theoretical approaches and, on the other hand, the proliferation of sociology, sociologists, and sociology departments throughout the world. At the same time, however, questions remain as to the scope of relevance of internationally dominant theories that emanate from leading sociology departments and publishing houses in Western Europe and North America. The present course addresses this tension by introducing students to a broad range of contemporary theories and interrogating their importance to social research in the Caribbean.
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This course examines the basic workings of the financial system and the main issues in monetary policy, primarily in developing countries. Emphasis will be on understanding the issues relating to interest rates, the tools of monetary policy, and the role of the Central Bank, in the conduct of monetary policy. The general economics and the structure of the financial system are also highlighted. Furthermore, the main monetary and financial issues confronting the CARICOM region as a whole are examined. For example, possible monetary union, intra-Caribbean investment and exchange rate systems are discussed.
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This research project course is designed to give students an appreciation for conceptualising contemporary issues from a psychological perspective. Students also have the opportunity to integrate psychological theories and research methods to investigate selected issues.
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An overview of the nature of crime in the Caribbean and the different approaches used to understand criminal behaviour. The course seeks to ground students with an understanding of the causes of crime, the major methods for measuring crime, as well as the dominant theoretical perspectives in the field of Criminology. ‘The purpose of this course is to provide the students with an in-depth understanding of the nature, causes and consequences of crime and its relation to security and justice. In addition, this course also brings into question, the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in dealing with the nature of criminality.
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This course examines: the role of government in the economy especially in developing countries and the Caribbean; taxation (both direct and indirect) and its impact on the economy; the theory of public sector pricing and production; the design of public policy and the scope and limitations of public economic policy.
