EFFECT OF VITAMINS C AND E INTAKE ON BLOOD ... - EuroJournals

International Research Journal of Finance and Economics – Volume 2, Number I (2006)
knowledge that is subject to additions or revisions, depending of course on the changes that occur to
society itself, which also creates the economic phenomena. Notions that were once acceptable are
rejected today, for example sixteen-hour workday without insurance. Of course, other ideas that are
accepted today were considered problematic in the past. Boskin (1990:19) notes that in the middle of
the 1980s an unemployment rate of 6-7%, accompanied by mediocre growth and a low inflation rate of
4% was acceptable for the United States of America. He himself wonders what ever became of the "4-
4-1" rule which they had got used to in the old days; in other words, 4% growth, 4% unemployment
and 1% inflation. More recently, respective adjustments to economic goals are being made based on
events and tendencies such as globalization, technological progress, immigration or the European
unification. Instructively, these changes in theoretical approaches and objectives must provide a basis
for a productive and non-dogmatic approach to economic theories and the awareness of countless
variables that determine the economic life of societies. Banaszak (1987:1) distinctively notes that
"educators generally tend to agree that the discipline of economics is dynamic; the economy and our
knowledge of it continue to evolve. Thus, educators must continually assess the economics curriculum
in terms of the current status of the academic discipline in order to provide students with the latest and
soundest view of economic life in the United States and the world".
Aims, objectives and usefulness
Most economists who deal with economic education point out the following goals:
• Students’ exposure to and understanding of economic concepts, so that they may acquire
economic education.
• The use of the economic way of thinking for decision-making with respect to the resolution of
personal and social problems.
• The contribution of economic education to the political education of citizens.
With regard to the first goal, McConnell (1990:35) observes that "at the most general level, we would
perhaps all agree that we seek to achieve (1) a usable level of economic literacy for those students who
do not go beyond the principles course, and (2) a viable foundation of economic understanding for
those who will pursue upper-division courses. At the most mundane level, we seek to generate
continuing interest in economic issues and problems".
With regard to the second goal, Banaszak (1987:5) concludes that "since economics is the study of
decision making about the use of productive resources, the central benefit of education for economic
literacy should be development of the ability to conduct objective, reasoned analysis of economic
issues and decisions are private and public; they pertain to daily personal concerns and to matters of
broad economic policy". Sumansky (1986:61) considers that with the passing of time, this second goal
has become as important as economic concepts.
With regard to the third goal, Banaszak (1987:5) maintains that "informed decision making
requires acquisition and use of knowledge of economic concepts and generalizations. This knowledge
allows citizens to understand the economic dimension of issues. It permits them to determine and
evaluate both the short-term and long-term consequences of potential economic decisions.
Economically literate citizens will be more intelligent readers and listeners. This will enable them to
participate intelligently in the political process and to be less easily misled by a demagogue. Finally,
the economically literate citizens will be life-long learners, capable of incorporating new economic
knowledge into their already existing knowledge".
On the same wavelength Seiter (1988) adds that the knowledge of economics and its ability to
be applied to important problems is an essential element for a responsible coexistence in a democratic
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