Finance Society & Ethics ((4 Credits))

Catalog description

This course will examine the social purpose of finance. Students will discuss the role of financial intermediation in the broader economy and question the deepening process of financialization (i.e. the increasing reliance on financial markets). Topics covered will include the allocation of risk between financial institutions and the rest of society, corporate governance and the responsibilities of financial institutions towards the environment and the developing world. Alternative institutional models will be presented. Moreover, the ethical implications of the questions examined form a key element of the course. The course does not assume knowledge of the material of other finance courses, and is focused on broad conceptual issues and discussions of the impact of the financial sector on society rather than detailed quantitative analysis. The course will include some of the material covered in other more general business ethics courses, but there is no significant duplication since here there is a much deeper focus on finance and on the specific issues facing the financial sector. This course is offered for our International Education program students.