Heterodox economics emphasises the role of power structures, inequality, and systemic instability in shaping economies, drawing from traditions like Marxist economics (class struggle, exploitation), Post-Keynesian economics (financial instability, effective demand), Institutional economics (laws, customs, and organisational behavior), Feminist economics (gender and unpaid labor), and Ecological economics (environmental limits). Unlike mainstream economics, which often assumes efficient markets and individual optimization, heterodox approaches prioritise real-world complexities, advocating for policies such as wealth redistribution, public ownership, financial regulation, and sustainable degrowth.