ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book fills a gap in the range of introductory economics textbooks that are available on the market. The gap refers to the lack of economics teaching that is critical of the orthodox approach, developed in Western countries. The book is designed for a one-semester introductory course in economics. It is written for an international student audience doing an undergraduate or graduate degree in the social sciences or interdisciplinary studies. The book discusses all major economic topics, in microeconomics and in macroeconomics. These topics are presented from four different theoretical perspectives, beginning with the closer real-world theories, in which social structures, relatedness, uncertainty, and social norms provide key economic explanations. The book also uses US context and the financial crisis that began there in 2007. This context helps understanding of the crisis, and also the diverse financial theories that explain the crisis.
