Educational offer - University of Padova

Information on the course unit

Degree course	First cycle degree in SCIENCE AND CULTURE OF GASTRONOMY AND CATERING IF0365, Degree course structure A.Y. 2017/18, A.Y. 2019/20	bring this page with you
Number of ECTS credits allocated	7.0
Type of assessment	Mark
Course unit English denomination	PRINCIPLES OF POLITICAL ECONOMY
Website of the academic structure	https://www.agrariamedicinaveterinaria.unipd.it/
Department of reference	Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and the Environment
E-Learning website	https://elearning.unipd.it/scuolaamv/
Mandatory attendance	No
Language of instruction	Italian
Branch	LEGNARO (PD)
Single Course unit	The Course unit can be attended under the option Single Course unit attendance
Optional Course unit	The Course unit can be chosen as Optional Course unit

Syllabus

Prerequisites:	No particular specific prerequisite knowledge of economics is required.
Target skills and knowledge:	The end of the course is to allow students achieving autonomous ability of reasoning in a correct way on economic issues. Competences: be able to apply micro-economic analysis to some fundamental economic issues; autonomous evaluation of efficiency, calculation of costs with a specific attention to restaurants, evaluation of the elasticity of demand, particularly concerning food and wine. The student should be able to frame basic cost-benefit reasoning and to identify the suitable principles of evaluation of resources. Transversal competences: students are required to show some communication competences including the appropriate use of economic terminology; autonomy of judgement on economic issues.
Examination methods:	The test consists in a written examination of 90’. It includes open questions, terminological definitions and the outline of simple economic problems including calculation.
Assessment criteria:	Some terminological property is required as well as some autonomous analytical and reasoning ability applying the instruments presented in the course. The evaluation of the written exam will be based on: a) the effective presence of the required content; b) the logical coherence of economic reasoning; c) the clarity of exposition, completeness, and terminological precision. Excellence is achieved when the student shows the ability to understand and discuss the specific scientific literature.
Course unit contents:	Parto 1: 2 CFU. 1) Introduction: actors, organization, well-being and the normative vs. Institutional dimension of economics; 2) the institutions of the market economy, property rights and contracts; 3) the definition of economic decisions: value, rationality, time, risk…; 4) cost-benefit analysis applied to discrete options; 5) demand and supply; 6) the capital, resources preservation and sustainability; Class works. Part 2: 3 CFU. 7) production; 8) the analysis of production costs, with applications to food service; 9) social consumption, goods, and consumer behavior; 10) competitive and non-competitive markets; Classwork. Part 3: 2 CFU. 11) input markets: labor, capital, natural resources; 12) enterprises: organization, knowledge, delegation, conflict, cooperation and globalization; 13) food service firms: analysis of production and demand; 14) resources evaluation criteria; 15) the economics of the food sector and tourism; 16) the economics of wine production and consumption, the effects of the regulation of this market; 17) the public sphere: collective action problems, no-profit and state intervention. Classwork and discussion. Agenda 2030 sustainability objectives: 8.2; 8.3, 8.5; 8.8; 8.9; 9.2; 9.3; 11.4; 12.2; 12.3; 12.8; 12b.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods:	The course includes 56 hours of lecturing (40h) and classwork exercises (16h). Exercises and discussion issues are proposed in the Moodle platform and discussed in the classes. Moodle is also used to answer questions raised by students as well as to post readings and specific study materials.
Additional notes about suggested reading:	The detailed lecturing calendar, the detailed programme, readings and other material is sited in the Moodle site. Students are allowed to pose short questions through Moodle that will find a public answer.
Textbooks (and optional supplementary readings)	The CORE Team, Economia. Comprendere il mondo che cambia.. Bologna: Il Mulino, 2018. Andrea Vitale, Giovanni Ferrazzi, Fabrizio Mendolia, Manuale di economia, gestione e legislazione delle imprese di ristorazione. Milano: Franco Angeli, 2018.