Courses : Syllabi : 353
Geography 353 Location of Economic Activity
Instructor
Course Description
The course is organized in five parts. After a brief introduction to economic geography and its different approaches, we turn our attention to the global scale and investigate the sources of uneven economic development and global inequality. In the third part, we focus on spaces of circulation, including flows of commodities, labor, capital, and knowledge, and the networks that bind them. The fourth part deals with spaces of production and investigates various types of production arrangements, emphasizing their consequences for workers’ wellbeing and the nature of work. In the last section, we study spaces of consumption, paying close attention to the role of culture.
The goals of the course are to engage students in the contemporary issues of economic life, expose them to current research questions in economic geography, and provide tools to interpret complex economic problems from a geographic perspective.
The central question that has traditionally been asked by economic geographers relates to the causes of uneven economic development at various scales: Why are some parts of the world more economically developed than others? Why do some regions grow faster than others? Why do some industries succeed in specific places?
While these questions remain important today, primarily because of the rapid globalization of economic activities and the associated transformation of production and consumption, economic geographers have increasingly turned their attention to the institutional, social, political, and cultural arrangements that shape and differentiate economic activities in various places. Thus new questions are being raised regarding everyday economic practices and the spatial processes that constitute them, including issues of industrial organization, consumption and lifestyle, the family and gender, ethnic networks, money and finance, etc. These themes will be discussed throughout the course.
Prerequisites
Geography 101 or 102 recommended
Grading
Your grade in this course will be based on the following elements:
- Midterm Exams (2): 30% (15% each)
- Final Exam: 20%
- Essay Questions (3): 45% (15% each)
- Participation: 5%
The readings for the course have been assembled from academic journals and books to cover a wide range of topics in economic geography. All the readings are available on Blackboard. You are required to read the assigned material before each class. This is extremely important because it will enhance your learning experience and promote better informed and more constructive class discussions.
There will be two midterms and one final examination for the class. Examinations will consist of definitions and multiple choice questions. Make-up exams will not be given (unless uncontrollable circumstances can be documented).
You will be asked to write three short essays (2 to 3 pages) in which you will apply the material discussed in class to analyze a current economic issue. Essay questions will be given in class and posted on Blackboard at least one week before the due date. No late paper will be accepted expect in case of documented emergency.
Participation is graded based on attendance and contribution to class activities. Regular and punctual attendance is required. If you are unable to attend a particular class or need to arrive late or leave early, please let me know in advance. In addition, there will be a number of short in-class group exercises or discussions that will be taken into account in your grade.
Books and Materials
All readings available on Blackboard.
Weekly Topics
| Week | Topic |
|---|---|
| Week One Part One |
Intro to class Capitalism |
| Week Two | Capitalism (cont) Economic Geography Traditions |
| Week Three Part Two |
Economic Development New Economic Geography |
| Week Four | The “Creation” of the Third World “A Flat World?”: Globalization and the Eradication of Space |
| Week Five | Regional Differentiation Midterm One |
| Week Six Part Three |
Trade and Commodity Chains International Labor Migration |
| Week Seven | Transportation Money and Finance |
| Week Eight Part Four |
The End of Manufacturing? Industrial Districts and Flexible Production |
| Week Nine | Maquiladoras Midterm Two |
| Week Ten | Economic Inequality in the United States Poverty |
| Week Eleven | Neoliberalism and Low-Wage Labor Gendered Division of Labor |
| Week Twelve | Ethnic Economies Informal Employment |
| Week Thirteen | Spaces of Sale Discount Nation |
| Week Fourteen Part Five |
Consumption and Debt Spending and Identity |
| Week Fifteen | Food |