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2021/22 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

GEOG2035 Geographies of Economies

20 creditsClass Size: 185

Module manager: Dr Stuart Hodkinson
Email: s.n.hodkinson@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2021/22

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

The module focuses on establishing a solid foundation in contemporary economic geography - principal themes, ideas, terminology, theories, problems, approaches and debates. How do we understand our economic world differently if we think about it geographically? It covers a wide range of topics, including: the capitalist economy, production and consumption, the state and the economy, Keynesianism, the developmental state, neoliberalism, globalization and multinational corporations, foreign direct investment (FDI), work and employment, agglomeration economies, power, conflict and economic ideologies, struggles over resources, the rise of finance, commodity chains, global production networks, innovation and technological change, disruption and exploitation, the role of institutions, and alternative visions. It is a dynamic, fast-paced module which provides a powerful base for understanding and confronting many of the challenges facing the world today.

Objectives

By the end of this module, students should have acquired:
i) a knowledge of the principal themes, ideas, terminology, theories, problems, approaches and debates in economic geography
ii) an understanding of how these themes play themselves out in contemporary conditions
iii) an appreciation of the relationship of these themes to broader developments in human geography
iv) key skills in critical reading, research and writing

Learning outcomes
1. The history of economic geography, with an emphasis on contemporary global debates;
2. The contested geographies of capitalist globalisation with a focus on the shifting scales and nature of economic activity, innovation, exploitation and commodification;
3. The global rise of neoliberalism, financialisation, and corporate power and the particular role played by geography in these processes;
4. The changing nature of urban and regional economies and policy in the context of globalisation;
5. The contradictory social and environmental consequences of neoliberalisation with a focus on land, housing, labour and money.


Skills outcomes
Cognitive skills
Assessment and critical evaluation of the merits of contrasting theories, explanations, policies
Critical analysis and interpretation of data and text
Developing reasoned arguments

Practical/professional skills
Collect, interpret and synthesise different types of quantitative and qualitative geographical data

Key skills
Communicate effectively (in writing, verbally and through graphical presentations)
Identify, retrieve, sort and exchange geographical information using a wide range of sources
Manage time and organise work effectively



Syllabus

The module focuses on establishing a solid foundation in contemporary economic geography - principal themes, ideas, terminology, theories, problems, approaches and debates. It is lecture and seminar based, and uses core texts with supplemental readings. The module syllabus will be drawn from the following indicative themes and topics:

Neoliberal globalisation and global corporate power
Financialisation, privatised necessities and the rentier economy
Labour behind the label: precarity, the gig economy and modern slavery
Deregulation and social murder: disaster neoliberalism
Urban and regional restructuring
Neoliberal urbanism, gentrification and speculative development
The global housing crisis and the rise of the global corporate landlord
Megacities: economic geographies of tomorrow?
Beyond neoliberalism: alternative economic geographies

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Workshop21.002.00
Meetings41.004.00
Lecture21.002.00
Lecture82.0016.00
Seminar41.004.00
Private study hours172.00
Total Contact hours28.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)200.00

Private study

Weekly reading for seminars and lectures; reading, research and revision for the case study report at the end of semester two.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Through seminars, weekly conversations and the assessment workshop

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Case StudyCase study report - 3000 words100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 30/06/2021 15:36:35

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