World Economic Geography

Instructor: Dr. Truong Thi Kim Chuyen

Email: worldeconomicgeography@gmail.com

Weblog: www.socialscience09.wordpress.com

World Economic Geography Paul Knox (2008),The geography of the world

economy, Routledge; 5th edition Neil M.Coe, Phillip F Kelly, Henry W.C. Yeung (2007),

Economic Geography, Blackwell Publishing Readings: Fellmann – Getis - Getis (1998). Human

Geography: Landscapes of Human Activities. Brown & Benchmark.

Course Description

Course Objectives

Grades Attendance, Assignment, Seminar: 30 % Mid-term Exam: 30 % Final Exam: 40 %

• You should read the materials assigned before the class, as it will facilitate your understanding.

• Additional readings might be assigned throughout the quarter on special topics/issues. They will be distributed in class and/or via email.

Course provides various dimensions of the world economy geography (WEG) in the age of globalization.

In a world, the trend of global trade is increasingly vital, WEG is an imperative for all who wish to know what is happening to their global economy.

Course gives the very basic concepts and terms in studying world economic geography.

In economic aspects, it concerns:

the varied ways of people earning,

the patterns of human activities to produce,

the distributed and consumed good and services, and

the geographic framework of world trade and business.

Course Description

The lectures will have a emphasis on geographic changes in the world economy.

We will examine the geographic organization of economic activity around the world at different geographical scales (global, regional and local) as well as the relationship between geographic conditions and economic development in different states

Course requires critical thinking on current economic and social problems from a geographic perspective.

Course Description (cont.)

By the end of the course, students will be able to: Identify, describe, and explain the roles of space,place,

scale, and nature in the constitution, operation, and outcome of economic processes;

Analyze economic events, processes, and structures from a geographic point of view;

Broadly define the economy in a way that incorporates its social, political (power), cultural, and environmental dimensions;

Identify and distinguish between different analytical approaches in economic geography;

differentiate relationships of economic interdependence of the states,

Understand of the characteristics of transnational corporations (TNCs) and regional economic blocs.

Expected outcome are able to:

Course OutlineThe geography of the

world economyEconomic Geography

Conceptual foundations

01/ Conceptual foundations Page 1-25

Dynamics of economic space

02/ The changing world economy04/ Patterns of Development and Change05/ Services going global

03/ Commodity chainsPage 87-11504’/ Technology and agglomeration

Actors in economic space

10/ International and supranational institutionalized integration

06/ The state Page 187-21907/ The transnational corporationPage 223-25108/ Labour power Page 254-28109/ Consumption

01/ CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS

Aims:

To understand the assumptions used by economists in understanding the economy.

To recognize the limitations of economic approaches to the economy

To appreciate key concepts in economic geography

03/03/ COMMODITY CHAINS – COMMODITY CHAINS – WHERE DOES YOUR BREAKFAST COME WHERE DOES YOUR BREAKFAST COME

FROM?FROM?

Aims: To demonstrate how capitalism serves to conceal the conditions of commodity productionTo introduce commodity chains and their basic componentsTo appreciate the differentiation of commodity chains in terms of their structure and geographyTo recognize the possibilities for, and limitations of, more ethical ways of organizing commodity chains

06/ 06/ THE STATE – THE STATE – WHO CONTROLS THE ECONOMY: FIRMS WHO CONTROLS THE ECONOMY: FIRMS

OR GOVERNMENTS?OR GOVERNMENTS?

Aims:

To understand how state and supra-national institutions shape economic process

To recognize the different kinds of states within the global economy

To appreciate the changing role of the state in an era of globalization

To demonstrate why geographical scales matter in the reconfiguration of the state.

07/ 07/ THE TRANSNATIONAL THE TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION CORPORATION

- - HOW DOES THE GLOBAL FIRM KEEP IT ALL HOW DOES THE GLOBAL FIRM KEEP IT ALL TOGETHER?TOGETHER?

Aims:

To question the claim that transnational corporations are really “global’

To understand how firms organize complex global activities

To explore the variety of organizational forms used by transnational corporations

To appreciate the inherent limits to the global reach of firms

08/ 08/ LABOUR POWER LABOUR POWER – – CAN WORKERS SHAPE ECONOMIC CAN WORKERS SHAPE ECONOMIC

GEOGRAPHIES?GEOGRAPHIES?

Aims:

To recognize the ways in which capital’s mobility gives it bargaining power over labour

To appreciate the rangr of mechanisms used by states and firms to control labour

To understand the different geographical strategies that workers may use to improve their position

To reflect on the possibilities for alternative or non-capitalist labour geographies

09/ 09/ CONSUMPTION CONSUMPTION – – WHO CONTROLS SPACES OF SALES AND WHO CONTROLS SPACES OF SALES AND

CONSUMPTION?CONSUMPTION?

Aims:

To recognize the position and importance of the consumption process within the capitalist system

To appreciate the changing geographies of consumption and in particular, retailing

To understand how consumption spaces are actively designed and used

To reflect on the ways in which consumption, place and identity are interrelated