A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words:
Teaching Economics Through Contemporary Films
Laura Jean Bhadra
This web page is intended as a resource for faculty interested in supplementing their economics lectures with examples and illustrations from contemporary films, or teaching an entire movie-based course in economics. The project was supported by Adjunct Faculty Development Grant (2004) of Northern Virginia Community College.
Follow the links below for brief movie summaries and downloadable discussion questions. This web site remains a work in progress. If you have any suggestions for additional movies, please email me at dbhadra@aol.com.
Suggested Syllabus for a Course in Movies and Economics
Movies Organized by Topic
Topics: Supply and Demand, Underground Economy, Migration
Topics: Labor Unions, Labor Relations
Topics: Oligopolies, Strategic Behavior, Barriers to Entry, Economies of Scale, McDonaldization, Technology
Topics: The Stock Market, Corporate Takeovers
Topic: Unemployment, Corporate Responsibility
Topic: Environmental Issues, Externalities
Topics: Elasticity of Demand, Taxes
Topic: Labor Market Discrimination, Sexual Harassment