Resource Economics 162:
The Consumer in Our Society
Fall 2009
Resec 162 is a General Education course with a Social and Behavioral Science designation.
Professor: Dr. Sheila Mammen
Office:303 Stockbridge Hal
Office Hours: Tues. & Thurs. 11:00 a.m. – 12 noon or by appointment
Telephone: 545-2470
E-mail: smammen@resecon.umass.edu
Class Objectives:
Resecon 162 provides an analysis of the important role of consumers in society including their decision-making and market and non-market consumption activities. This is a general education course with SB designation, therefore, an interdisciplinary perspective will be used. Research findings from a variety of disciplines (economics, behavioral economics, sociology, psychology, social psychology, political science, anthropology, and ecology) will be applied on the human and social, cognitive and emotional factors to better understand consumers’ economic decisions. Critical thinking skills will be used to examine a variety of contemporary consumer economic issues as well as topics such as consumer rights and responsibilities, the impact of advertising, use of consumer credit, product safety, consumer fraud, and legal protections available to consumers.
Having successfully completed this course, you should:
- Be familiar with the complexities of the American economic system;
- Understand how the consumer functions in the marketplace and identify the economic, social, psychological, and political forces that shape consumer demand;
- Be able to utilize economic concepts critical to consumer success;
- Be able to analyze current issues and problems as they affect the individual consumer, the household as a consuming unit, and society at large;
- Recognize frauds and misrepresentations in the marketplace;
- Be able to examine the roles played by local, state, and federal consumer protection agencies; and
- Be able to employ critical thinking skills to analyze consumer issues from a broad, multidisciplinary perspective.
Text and Other Reading Materials:
Mel J. Zelenak and Wendy Reiboldt, Consumer Economics: The Consumer in Our Society (2010), Fifteenth Ed., Holcomb Hathaway Publishers, Scottsdale, AZ.
Class Policies:
- Class attendance is mandatory. Attendance will be taken and it will be used in determining your final grade.
- The following code of conduct “The respectful classroom” will be used in this class:
The respectful classroom
We are all responsible for creating a respectful classroom environment. All students have the right to hear the lecture without being interrupted by other students. The professor has the right to teach without disruptions. In order to achieve a respectful learning environment, we will keep the following in mind:
- We are on time for class. Class will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m.
- We do not pack up to leave before the class is dismissed.
- We do not engage in uncivil behavior during the lecture such as talking to classmates, walking out of the class, or working on something else.
- We do not use any electronic devices during class time (unless to take class notes).
- We follow the Academic Honesty Policy. For information, see http://www.umass.edu/dean_students/codeofconduct/
- We avoid negative language.
- We will treat each other (fellow students and the professor) with mutual respect.
Course Exams and Assignments:
| The weights making up your final grade will be |
% of Final Grade |
Three exams* (textbook, notes, reserve readings)
|
66% |
Consumer economic issue project
|
25% |
Summary papers – short paragraphs written in class
|
9% |
Total:
|
100% |
Make-up Exam* Policy: Make-up exams will be given only if you have a legitimate reason and if you notify me BEFORE THE DAY OF THE EXAM.
Grade Policy: Your final grade will be based on the points you have received for the 3 exams, consumer economic issue project, and summary papers as a percentage of total points achievable. The following grade percentage cutoff will be used to assign your letter grade: A = 94%, A- = 90%, B+ = 87%, B = 83%, B- = 80%, C+ = 77%, C = 73%, C- = 70%, D+ = 65%, F = < 60%. Class attendance will be considered in the final determination of your letter grade – this will be explained in class.
Please note: There will not be any extra credit activities.
