Students Suggest Ec 10 Reading List Stressing Radical Economic Critiques

A group of undergraduate and graduate students asked Ec 10 section leaders last week to distribute the group's alternative reading list which emphasizes "radical" economic analyses.

The group has contacted about one-fourth of the course's section leaders and plans to contact the rest this week, Jennifer T. Helmick '75, an organizer of the group, said yesterday. All section leaders contacted by the group agreed to distribute the reading lists, Helmick said.

A leaflet distributed with the reading list criticizes the introductory economics course as "doctrinaire" and calls for giving "the case against capitalism a fair hearing in this course."

Otto Eckstein, professor of Economics who teaches Ec 10, said yesterday he had not been contacted by the group and did not know that the reading list was being distributed.

"We have tried to keep our reading list eclectic and of broad ideological sympathy, but if they feel there's something they can teach us, that's fine," Eckstein said.

Elisabeth K. Allison '67, assistant professor of Economics and head section leader of Ec 10, said she had not heard about the reading list but would like to see a copy. "Anything that gets people to read could be useful," she said.

The group which compiled and is distributing the reading list includes members of the Union for Radical Political Economics and of the New American Movement. The reading list is made up mainly of recent works containing radical critiques of the capitalist economic system.

"I really don't know how much effect the reading list is going to have," Helmick said, "but it's certainly better than just plain old Ec 10.