Belated greetings for the new year. I wish you all God’s rich blessings.
Earlier I had mentioned that I am writing my next book on development economics. It is progressing and I hope to complete it soon.
There is one area I would value inputs from experts in economics. I have prepared a table comparing economists, epidemiologists, and development professionals whom I have started addressing as develomentists in the forthcoming book.
Since this book economics, I would be happy economists and others with some experience in economics could add or delete to and from the list under economist. An accurate list of tasks/activities/resposibilities of economists would help me make correct inferences.
I express my thanks in advance to those who take the time to respond to my request.
| Economist | Epidemiologist | Community Development Professional |
| Field of study: Production, Distribution and Consumption of goods and services | Distribution and Determinants of events | Processes of Social, Cultural, Ecological, Economic, and Political change, and the Historical and contemporary forces that shape those dynamics. |
| Focus: Understanding and managing economic systems, Production, Inflation, Employment and Overall wellbeing of a society | HealthEnvironmental factors that are associated with health outcome. | Socio-economic development of communities, regions, or countries. Poverty alleviationImproving quality of life Healthcare, Education, and Infrastructure development. |
| Methods: Economic theories, Economic models, Statistical methods, Analyse economic trends, Predict outcomes, Assess impact of policies on economic conditions | Observational epidemiology Analytical epidemiologyExperimental epidemiology | Employ a multidisciplinary approach, combining Economic, Social, and Environmental considerations. They often work with Communities, Governments, and NGOs to implement projects and programs |
| Data sources: Government reports, Financial statements, General dataInternational dataSpecialised dataReference guidesBlogsSurveys, | Primary data collected by the individualSecondary data collected by other individuals for another purpose- surveys, population health statistics, medical records | Primary data has to be collectedSecondary data-very little is available |
| Goal: Economic freedom, Economic growth, Economic efficiency, Economic equity, Economic security, Price stability, and Full employment. | Improve public health- understanding and controlling the spread of diseases, Identifying risk factors, Developing interventions. | Improve overall living standards, Reduce inequality, and Enhance the well-being of communities. Address specific development challenges. |
| Applications: Economists work in various sectors, including Government, Academia, and Private industry, providing insights into economic trends, Advising policymakers, Contributing to the development of economic policies | They work in Public health agencies, Research institutions, Healthcare settings Inform health policy, Guide healthcare practices, and Contribute to disease prevention strategies | They work in Community developmentPoverty reductionLivelihoodsHealthcareDisability, and mental health, Family and children protection Homelessness, Aged care, Drug and alcohol support, |
| Scope: Economists may specialize in fields such as Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, International economicsDevelopment economics working in academia, government, and private industry. | Epidemiological Triad of Agent, host, and environment plus Determine How many people have a disease, How this varies by time and place, and What specific factors put individuals at risk. | Community service, Community initiatives, Economic development, Activism, Community building, Community mobilization. working in international development organizations, non-profits, government agencies, and consulting firms. |
| Time Frame: Analyse short-term and long-term economic trends, Contributing to policy decisions that impact economies over time. | Short term descriptive and case control studiesLong term cohort studiesLifetime cohort studies | Immediate focus on addressing specific development challenges in communities or regions. |
| Interdisciplinary Approach: May or may not collaborate with experts in other fields, such as sociology or political science, but their core expertise lies in economics. | It is interdisciplinary and connected to Public health Clinical medicine Biomedical sciences Biostatistics.Social work | They often take an interdisciplinary approach Economic, Social, Political, and Environmental factors to create comprehensive development strategies. |
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Rajaratnam Abel 