Economic geography

Описание мероприятия

Описание программы

This course introduces and examines key concepts and approaches in economic geography and their contribution to the understanding of the contemporary globalising world. It highlights the importance of economic geography in the contemporary world, relates economic geography approaches to key social and economic issues in the context of economic globalisation and introduces major policy dilemmas.

The specific objectives of the course are:

• To highlight the importance of economic geography in analysing contemporary societies and economies.
• To provide a comprehensive introduction to basic concepts and key theoretical approaches in economic geography.
• To introduce economic geography as a dynamic, diverse and contested body of knowledge.
• To enable students to apply this knowledge to key social and economic issues in the context of economic globalisation.
• To encourage students to think about policy options for overcoming inequality and uneven development in the globalising world.

Assessment

This course is assessed by a three-hour unseen written examination.

Учебный план:

Section 1: Introduction
What is economic geography?
Why is economic geography important?

Section 2: Key approaches in economic geography
What is economy? How does the economy works (neo-classical, Marxist and evolutionary/institutionalist views)? Key approaches in economic geography (neo-classical-inspired, location theory, Marxist-inspired approaches, evolutionary and institutionalist-inspired approaches, new economic geography, alternative views).

Section 3: Key concepts and theories in economic geography
Key concepts and theories: wealth, value and circuits of capital; factors of production; agriculture, manufacturing and services; neo-classical equilibrium; central place theory, urban hierarchy, market potential; connectivity-accessibility; increasing returns and cumulative causation; uneven development; coreperiphery theories of economic change; agglomeration economies; divisions of labour (social, technical, spatial); cycle theories, waves of development; technical change, innovation; regional innovation systems and clusters; knowledge and learning economies; networks, trust and social capital; cultural economies, ethnicity and gender.

Section 4: Economic geographies of the contemporary world
Geographies of economic globalisation (investment, production, trade, consumption) in agriculture, manufacturing and services. Governing globalisation. Trans-national and multi-national corporations (commodity chains and value networks). Global finance. Global cities and city-regions (global cities, world city network, mega-city regions). Geographies of ICT and knowledge economies. Geographies of emerging markets. Geographies of labour and migration.

Section 5: Economic geography and policy challenges
Policy challenges: uneven development and inequality in the global age. Key policy responses: neo-liberal approaches, Keynesian approaches, State-socialism, Third way, alternative economic approaches. Policy options for the future.

Результат обучения:

At the end of the course and having completed the essential reading and activities students should be able to:

• Explain the importance of economic geography in analysing the ways societies and economies work.
• Explain and apply key concepts and theoretical approaches in economic geography.
• Discuss and critically evaluate these concepts and theoretical approaches.
• Apply these concepts and theoretical approaches to key social and economic issues in the context of economic globalisation.
• Discuss policy options for overcoming inequality and uneven development in the globalising world.