Scottish Economic Society
| Abbreviation | SES |
|---|---|
| Formation | 29 June 1897 (as Scottish Society of Economists),[1] 1954 (as Scottish Economic Society) |
| Type | Learned society |
Honorary President | Anne Gasteen |
| Website | www |
Formerly called | Scottish Society of Economists |
The Scottish Economic Society (SES), known up to 1953 as the Scottish Society of Economists, is a scholarly society "promoting the study and teaching of economics." It is registered as a charity in Scotland (number SCO 21757).[2]
Aims and activities
[edit]The Society has published an academic journal, the Scottish Journal of Political Economy, since March 1954.[1] It also organises an annual conference and other events.
The stated objects of the society are:
- "to advance the study of economic and social problems on the widest basis, in accordance with the Scottish tradition of political economy inspired by Adam Smith"
- "to provide a forum for the discussion of Scottish economic and social problems and their relationship to the political and social life of Scotland."[3][2]
The current President-Elect of the SES is Prof. Sarah Brown of University of Sheffield.
History
[edit]The Scottish Society of Economists was formed in 1897, its first president being Joseph Shield Nicholson of the University of Edinburgh.[1] Despite the society's title, its 108 initial members came from a variety of professions.[3] However, it was a purely male membership until four women joined in 1905.[1] Nicholson set out his ambitions for the society: that it would be above all scientific, not campaigning for any specific reforms or a vehicle for propaganda. He made it a principle that debate would not be settled by voting.[1] He was president of the society until 1903, and remained very involved until his death in 1927, after which the society's activity declined.[3][1] By 1953, the society had not met for twenty years.[4]
In 1954 the society was re-established under a new name, chosen to be less exclusive.[4] Economists from the (then) four Scottish universities and the Dundee School of Economics met in Edinburgh where a constitution, drawn up by Fraser Noble,[1] was agreed.[4] The new president, Alexander Cairncross, urged social scientists of all kinds to join, arguing that economics on its own is "emasculated".[3] Membership reached 300 by the end of the 1950s, but declined during the 1970s to below 200.[1]
In its early years, the emphasis of the reformed society, reflected in the content of its journal, was on Scottish issues, applications of economics, and writing for a non-professional audience.[3][1] From the 1950s to the 1990s, the emphasis changed and became more technical, focusing less on Scottish issues and applied economics but attracting far more international contributions and recognition.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Campbell, R. H. (1 September 1997). "The Scottish Society of Economists: The Scottish Economic Society-1897-1997". Scottish Journal of Political Economy. 44 (4): 359–367. doi:10.1111/1467-9485.00064.
- ^ a b About the Scottish Economic Society
- ^ a b c d e Hutton, Alan (2006). "A Scottish tradition of applied economics in the twentieth century". In Alexander Dow, Sheila Dow (ed.). The history of Scottish economic thought. London: Routledge. pp. 237–238. ISBN 978-0415344371.
- ^ a b c Cairncross, Alexander K. (March 1954). "The Scottish Economic Society". Scottish Journal of Political Economy. 1 (1): 1–6. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9485.1954.tb00692.x.
External links
[edit]- The Scottish Journal of Political Economy
- Official Homepage Scottish Economic Society
- Homepage of the annual conference
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