Learn about Summer 2025 Pre-College opportunities at UMass Amherst. Our residential and online pre-college programs are designed to give you a preview of the UMass student experience, including college-level academics and being part of a learning community of high school students from all across the U.S. and the world. Our programs feature faculty-led courses, state-of-the-art facilities, and the #1 campus dining in the U.S., as ranked by the Princeton Review. Find out more!
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We often hear on the news that the economy is doing well or poorly, or that the economy is the most important issue of political elections, or that things will get better if the economy just picks up or grows. But what is The Economy? Where does it come from? Who makes it? How does it influence what we think, feel, and who we aspire to be in the world? How does it impact our lives and livelihoods? This course explores the relationship between culture, economy, and well-being.
We begin with an introduction to the field of anthropology and explore the origins of the dominant, market economy that we are most familiar with. We analyze the nature of class and inequality, and their relationship to race, gender and other social processes. We reflect on our own lives as part of a global capitalist system that has created astounding economic growth, while at the same time is structuring alienation and violence.
During the second half of the course we explore economic difference and possibility across time and space. What are other ways that societies and communities produce, exchange, and consume things? Are there ethical, cooperative economies? We locate ourselves as active, human agents and makers of economy. We then rethink the category of economy and ask, what would it mean to live well with others?
This class approaches teaching as an opportunity to build knowledge, and also to build relations. Each class/day will begin with a “check-in” to get to know each other, hear how we are feeling and thinking, and build trust and care. Each class/day will end with a close out exercise and reflection.
In between our check in and close out, we have fun with a variety of pedagogical (teaching and learning) approaches and techniques that take seriously the premise: we are all teachers and learners. We engage with lectures from the course instructor as well as with guest presenters.
We will:
- Participate in pair shares and small group conversations.
- Watch, analyze and discuss movies and short films.
- Learn to take notes, journal, and reflect.
- Introduce and participate in interviewing and participant observation.
- Learn through role play, engage in structured debates, and participate in skill shares.
All of this is in service of learning to think critically and imaginatively about “the economy” and the world that makes us, and that we remake in turn. Our final group project pulls together learnings, helping us to see and reflect on how our ideas of shifted and transformed.
This class will be of broad interest to those interested in the social sciences and humanities, but students interested in social change, social and ecological well-being, and community development might be particularly interested.
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This course is offered at the UMass Amherst campus as a residential program. Local students may apply to attend as a commuter.
Cost and Session Information
Dates: July 27 - August 9, 2025
Two-Week Residential Intensives: $3,907 residential / $2,262 commuter
*Program fees listed above include tuition and room & board; materials and software may be required.
*All programs require submission of $45 application fee.
Dates: July 27 - August 9, 2025
Two-Week Residential Intensives: $3,907 residential / $2,262 commuter
*Program fees listed above include tuition and room & board; materials and software may be required.
*All programs require submission of $45 application fee.
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