First university 'sexanomics' course arouses massive interest from applicants

Where economics is usually about the value of the pound versus the dollar, stocks and mortgages - but now it is about sex.

After Freakonomics, the cult best-seller which examined the economics of life, comes a university course in Sexonomics, an economic analysis of sex.

And, inevitably,  it has been deluged with applicants.

Students are queuing up to enrol in The Economics of Sex and Love which discusses love, marriage, speed-dating and teenage sex in a course offered by a leading Canadian institution.

A university has been swamped with applicants after offering a course in 'sexanomics' which examines the relationship between economics and sex

'Love and sex are profoundly based in economics,' says assistant professor Marina Adshade, who normally lectures on currency fluctuation, GDP, international monetary trends and domestic spending.

'Most people would agree sex involves some form of negotiation; it involves investment and, particularly where marriage is concerned, a contract.

'There are costs and benefits to all aspects of love and sex and these are covered by economic principles.

'I could teach a course about industrial organisations and maybe only have five per cent of the students fully engaged after a while.'

In contrast, she said, the Sexonomics course would be 'something they will be really interested in.'

The 12-week course is designed for second year students at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.

The university, which includes three former Canadian Prime Ministers among its alumni, is already considering expanding the course next year because of the high level of interest.

Dr Adshade, an economic historian, believes there is a range of economic data that can be studied to promote a better understanding of sexual behaviour, marriage and the reasons behind rising divorce rates and dwindling marriage figures.

'People marry each other for economic reasons; for instance people generally marry within their own income sphere, education or class,' she adds.

'But people don’t like the idea that marriage is a contract and there is bound to be a clash between romance and economics.

'It is a controversial area but I want to look at the facts and what we can learn from them.

'There is plenty of research out there that we should be examining and testing. Anything that gives us a greater understanding of how we and the world functions is worth pursuing.'

Dr Adshade designed the course and persuaded officials at the university, which has 13,000 students, that it would add to the understanding of her core subject.

'Economics is a varied and alive subject – it is not just about the value of the dollar, stocks and mortgages,' she said.

She added the sexonomics course was 'not there for salacious reasons', adding that sex was a valid economic topic.

The course starts in January.