Economic ideas are influential in restructuring society, for better or worse. An understanding of economics is important in the pursuit of progressive social change, even more than in the pursuit of personal enrichment. Readings in Political Economy: Economics as a Social Science challenges the conventional wisdom of neoclassical economic theory found in most standard textbooks. It examines alternative analytical frameworks and draws on the insights provided by contemporary feminist and environmental movements. Since the release of the first edition in 1996 (and the second edition in 2003), this book has become a key text. This new edition provides up-to-date analysis of economic issues, grounded in the current social and political context.

This third edition of Readings in Political Economy: Economics as a Social Science updates a comprehensive collection of classical and contemporary readings in the field, written by leading local and international scholars. Some chapters have been written for the book by prominent economists; others are condensed versions of longer chapters and articles, abridged in order to highlight the key issues. All have been selected with a view to making the issues and ideas accessible to non-specialists who might otherwise shy away from the study of technical economic issues. Major sections explore: contemporary challenges - globalisation, inequality, economy - environment interactions and the 'new economy; economy and society - market, state, class, gender, ethnicity, social capital, ideology; competing economic analyses - classical, neoclassical, Marxian, institutional, Keynesian and post-Keynesian; modern challenges - green economics, feminist economics, rethinking economic development; and, the state and economic policies - what can governments do?