GENERAL
| SCHOOL | School of Economics and Political Science |
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| DEPARTMENT | Sociology |
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| Level of Study | Undergraduate |
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| COURSE CODE | 431105 |
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| COURSE TITLE | Special Topics in Entrepreneurship and Consumption (TE) |
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| Independent Teaching Activities |
Weekly Teaching Hours |
CREDIT UNITS |
| Lectures - assignments |
3 |
6 |
| TOTAL |
3 |
6 |
| Course Type | General Background |
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| Prerequisite Courses | No |
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| Teaching and Examination Language | Greek |
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| THE COURSE IS OFFERED TO ERASMUS STUDENTS | No |
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| Course Webpage (URL) | https://eclass.uoa.gr/courses/SOC249/ |
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(2) LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to:
- to present the basic theoretical approaches to entrepreneurship and consumption,
- to develop with the historical dimension of entrepreneurship from the dawn of the industrial revolution to the modern digital age,
- to critically approach contemporary business case studies and
- to approach consumption as an economic, cultural, and social practice.
General Capabilities
- Cultivation of reflective thought and critical thinking,
- Search, analysis and synthesis of data and information, also using the necessary tools: bibliographic search
- Project execution: individual or teamwork
- Working in an interdisciplinary environment
- Generation of new research ideas
- Respect for diversity and multiculturalism, demonstration of social, professional, and ethical responsibility and gender sensitivity
(3) COURSE CONTENT
What does it mean to be an entrepreneur in different eras? Is entrepreneurship an act of innovation, survival, or power? How are our desires as consumers shaped, and who guides them? And ultimately, who defines what is a necessity and what is a luxury? These questions form the core axis of the course «Special Topics in Entrepreneurship and Consumption,» which examines the trajectory of entrepreneurial action and consumption as interconnected social and cultural phenomena from early capitalism to today's digital age. Entrepreneurship is not treated as an isolated economic activity, but as a mechanism of social transformation. From Cantillon to Schumpeter, the entrepreneur evolves from a market intermediary into a creator of innovation—into the one who introduces new combinations and renews capitalism through «creative destruction.».
At the same time, consumption is interpreted as a social act, as a means of differentiation, formation, and projection of identity. Through the approaches to consumption, an attempt will be made to highlight how goods are not constituted exclusively as objects of functional use, but as vehicles of symbolic meanings and mechanisms of social distinction, through which subjects construct, express, and legitimize their social and cultural position.
The historical trajectory covered by the course shows how each phase of capitalism is accompanied by a new culture of entrepreneurship and consumption. From the entrepreneur and the consumer of the interwar period to the post-war society of mass consumption, and from family businesses to forms of globalized entrepreneurship and the modern gig economy, the ways in which we produce and consume reflect deeper economic and social transformations. Small and large businesses, multinational corporations, and local or global networks make up different models of economic and social organization, within which power, innovation, and culture intersect. In the present era, entrepreneurship and consumption are being redefined through concepts such as sustainability, ethical responsibility, and social innovation. The green transition, ESG metrics, and new forms of conscious consumption emphasize that economic action is not disconnected from its social impact. The course, therefore, is not limited to the analysis of economic phenomena, but explores entrepreneurship and consumption as processes through which the economic, social, and cultural needs of each society are expressed.
(4) TEACHING & LEARNING METHODS – EVALUATION
| DELIVERY METHOD | Face to face |
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| Information and Communication Technologies |
- Lectures with presentation
- Display of supporting audiovisual material
- Support of the learning process through the e-class electronic platform
|
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| Activity |
Semester Workload |
| Lectures |
39 |
| Interactive teaching |
12 |
| Literature study and analysis |
50 |
| Monitoring of audiovisual material |
11 |
| Exercises/Activities in e-class |
15 |
| Writing a paper |
20 |
| Exams |
3 |
| Course Summary |
150 |
Student Evaluation
| Process Description Evaluation |
- Attendance and Participation (20%)
- Preparation and presentation of a paper or participation in a midterm exam (40%)
- Final Exam (40%)
They are listed and available on e-class
|
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(5) RECOMMENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Suggested Bibliography
- Karagiannis, I., & Bakouros, I. (2010). Innovation and entrepreneurship, Theory-Practice. Thessaloniki: Sophia Publications.
- Bart, R. (2007). Mythologies-lesson, trans. K. Hatzidimou-I. Ralli, ed. G. Kritikos, Kedros, Athens
- Sarri, K., & Trichopoulou, A. (2017). Entrepreneurship and social economy: The gender perspective. Thessaloniki: TZIOLA Publications
- Audretsch, D. B. (2009). The entrepreneurial society. In New Frontiers in Entrepreneurship: Recognizing, Seizing, and Executing Opportunities (pp. 95-105). New York, NY: Springer New York.
- Baron, R. A., & Shane, S. (2007). Entrepreneurship: A process perspective. The psychology of entrepreneurship, 38, 19-40.
- Bourdieu, P. (2013). Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Athens: Ellinikes Ekdoseis
- Galbraith, J. K. (1998). The Affluent Society. Athens: Ekdoseis.
- Sassatelli, R. (2016). Consumer culture: History, theory and politics. Translated by D. Lallas. Thessaloniki: Nisides.
- Shane, S. A. (2008). The illusions of entrepreneurship: The costly myths that entrepreneurs, investors, and policy makers live by. Yale University Press.
- Veblen, T. (1982). The Theory of the Leisure Class (trans.: G. Dalianis). Athens: Kalvos.
