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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Narrative Economics by Yale University

4.8
stars
900 ratings

About the Course

Dear Potential Learner, Please take some time to read through this note before deciding to enroll. This course, Narrative Economics, is relatively short and proposes a simple concept: we need to incorporate the contagion of narratives into our economic theory. You can think of narratives as stories that shape public beliefs, which in turn influence our decision making. Understanding how people arrived at certain decisions in the past can aid our understanding of the economy today and improve our forecasts of the future. Popular thinking heavily influences our answers to questions such as how much to invest, how much to spend or save, whether to go to college or take a certain job, and many more. Narrative economics is the study of the viral spread of popular narratives that affect economic behavior. I believe incorporating these ideas into our research must be done both to improve our ability to anticipate and prepare for economic events and help us structure economic institutions and policy. Until we better incorporate it into our methods of analysis and forecasting, we remain blind to a very real, very palpable, very important mechanism for economic change. Even in the dawning age of the Internet and artificial intelligence, so long as people remain ultimately in control, human narratives will matter. Maybe they will especially matter as the new technology exploits human weaknesses and creates new venues for narrative contagion. If we do not understand the epidemics of popular narratives, we cannot fully understand changes in the economy and in economic behavior. The course is broken into 4 modules: Part I introduces basic concepts and demonstrates how popular stories change over time to affect economic outcomes, including recessions, depressions and inequality as well as effective inspiration and growth.. These stories can be observed from diverse sources such as politics, the media, or even popular songs. Part II seeks to answer why some stories go viral, while others are quickly forgotten, by defining our narrative theory more firmly. This module enumerates and explores a list of seven propositions to help discipline any analysis of economic narratives. Part III examines nine perennial narratives that have proved their ability to influence important economic decisions. They include narratives regarding artificial intelligence, stock market bubbles, and job insecurity. Part IV looks to the future and highlights the opportunities for consilience in Narrative Economics. We share some thoughts about where narratives are taking us at this point in history and what kind of future research could improve our understanding of them. This course offers only the beginnings of a new idea and a few suggestions for how it could be used by economists and financial professionals. The tone is not prescriptive or authoritative, as perhaps my Coursera course, Financial Markets, is in places. It represents the beginning of the journey (epidemic). This course is my way of floating the “germ” of this idea out into the broader community of not only professionals but of anyone who is interested in discovering how and why things become “important” to us as a society. I hope some of you will become infected by this idea, mutate it, spread it, and advance it. The beginning of the journey is the easy part. The challenge will come in taking these concepts to the next level. We have the tools to incorporate narratives into our research and the moral obligation to act; only the work remains. - Robert J. Shiller...

Top reviews

SR

Jul 4, 2023

Thanks Prof Robert Shiller for putting together this wonderful course and offering it for free. I really enjoyed learning about Narrative Economics.

AM

Mar 31, 2023

A short and inspiring course to pay more attention what goes on in the world, to stop and think if the narrative is a repetition and what impact it might have on today & tomorrow.

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101 - 125 of 245 Reviews for Narrative Economics

By Adam L

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Aug 13, 2023

I loved it so much! It is not talked about enough, this should be its own narrative epidemic.

By Nada A

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Nov 8, 2023

I learnt a lot in this class and it pertains to what's going on in the world now. Thank you

By Patrick W

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Dec 11, 2024

This course was extremely informative and really got me thinking about almost everything.

By Rob W

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Apr 12, 2023

An interesting, short, introductory course to Narrative Economics that includes mermaids.

By Beat S

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May 30, 2023

With his unique style, Robert Shiller is connecting the dots of a key economic topic.

By Nirad T

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Jun 24, 2025

This course covered a lot more than I expected. It was a great learning experience!

By Tabita D G R

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Aug 10, 2024

ilmu yang sangat bermanfaat memberikan pengetahuan dan memberikan wawasan yang luas

By Robert G

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Sep 12, 2023

Very interesting and well explained with many research tips and historical examples

By Joe M

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Mar 31, 2025

Very interesting course, the professor was also very likeable. Would recommend.

By Nguyễn T A H

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Aug 23, 2023

Very helpful for me to know what I decide to tell and to be a good storyteller.

By Yangling Z

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May 4, 2023

Its enlightening to hear that narratives play such an interesting role in life.

By Theodore R

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May 6, 2025

A wonderful way to spend a weekend, learning from the esteemed Robert Shiller.

By Dhanush R

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Feb 25, 2025

Its absolutely brilliant course and very useful and knowledgable course for me

By Hui C C

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Nov 10, 2023

It is interesting to learn economics from narrative perspective ! Thank you !

By Tonya W

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Jul 19, 2024

Thank you! Currently using the reading list to learn more about this topic.

By Fiona L

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Jul 2, 2023

It's a well-structured step-by-step introduction to narrative economics.

By smith t

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Oct 10, 2025

Was an amazing experience, really made my first online course memorable

By O B

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Jan 1, 2024

Great course. Not just about economics, but much more. Truly refreshing

By Micaela C

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Aug 5, 2023

Great course, the presentation is clear, original, useful and engaging.

By Derrick M

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Mar 14, 2025

Awesome loved it, Changed my perspective on a lot of decision markers.

By Radovan B

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Jan 6, 2025

Excellent course .... Thanks a lot for all this knowledge you give us.

By Alberto N

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May 23, 2023

Excelent and clear, plain of meaningful, enjoyable and recommendable.

By Andrea B

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Apr 20, 2023

Really interesting ! I learned alot and it was fun to do.

Many thanks

By Garima S C

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May 8, 2025

Amazing course - great insight into history of popular narratives!

By Shashi C

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Apr 27, 2023

Always interesting to listen Professor Shiller. Huge appreciation.