EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
The course aims to provide students with a solid foundation of knowledge and analytical tools necessary to:
ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
By the end of the course, students will be able to independently formulate a critical analysis of the main theoretical and practical issues affecting the cultural sector today—including operational aspects of museum management—using appropriate terminology and analytical tools.
ADDITIONAL EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Independent judgment:
Students will be expected to rework the knowledge acquired in order to autonomously develop critical analyses.
Communication skills:
Students will be able to use appropriate technical language and analytical tools to effectively communicate key concepts of the discipline, including museum management practice.
Learning skills:
The course aims to equip students with the ability to independently update and expand their knowledge in the future, encompassing both cultural economics and basic heritage management principles.
No prerequisites
The course includes traditional lectures, which account for approximately 80% of the total hours. The remaining 20% is dedicated to the presentation and discussion of case studies, also featuring guest speakers who participate alongside the main instructor.
For both attending and non-attending students, the exam consists of a written test with five open-ended questions covering the topics addressed during the lectures and presented in the course materials.
Students are required to answer four out of the five questions. The test is administered in Italian, or in English upon request.
The exam is considered sufficient when the candidate demonstrates an understanding of the core topics and is able to clearly articulate their reasoning, making use of the analytical tools introduced in class and in the reference texts.
The final grade increases based on the following elements:
Full marks are awarded to students who demonstrate an excellent level across all of the above dimensions.
For attending students:
• Di Maio A. (a cura di), Patrimonio e attività culturali. L’analisi economica, Hoepli, 2019 (chapters: 1,2,5,6,7, appendix)
To further explore the contents of the Appendix in the text above, students may also refer to:
• Lieberman M. e Hall R., Economia. Principi e applicazioni, Apogeo – Maggioli editore (chapters: 3, 5, 6, 7)
For non-attending students:
• Di Maio A. (a cura di), Patrimonio e attività culturali. L’analisi economica, Hoepli, 2019 (chapters: 1,2,5,6, 7, appendix)
• Lieberman M. e Hall R., Economia. Principi e applicazioni, Apogeo – Maggioli editore (chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4,5, 6, 7, 8, 10 + appendices)
English texts available for students who request to study in English:
- Hall, Lieberman: Microeconomics: Principles & Applications. chapters 1, 3, 6, 7, 8
- Rizzo, I., & Mignosa, A. (Eds.). (2013). Handbook on the economics of cultural heritage. Edward Elgar Publishing (part I, chapters 1, 4, 6 + part IV, chapter 10 + part VII, chapters 18 and 19 + part VIII, chapter 21)
Additional readings
During the lectures, the instructor and guest speakers may suggest additional readings, the content of which will not be part of the exam
List of topics:
1) Economic Theory of Demand
2) Demand for Cultural Goods
3) Cultural Tourism
4) Economic Theory of Supply
5) Supply in the Cultural Sector
6) Market Failures, Merit Goods, and Public Intervention
7) Economic valuation of cultural heritage
Taught in Italian; English texts and exam available upon request.
