Economics is a powerful tool for interpreting the facts about education and families. It also allows us to predict and evaluate the consequences of education and family policies using econometric methods.
The lecture combines economic theory and statistical methods to examine current important issues in these fields. Topics include (but will not be limited to): human capital theory, household models, family education decision, fertility, marriage market, intergenerational transmission of inequality, and the interpretation of empirical facts based on Japanese and international data. Students are expected to have mastered microeconomics using basic calculus, elementary statistics, and some statistical software including Microsoft Excel.