GEOG 2010 - Geography of the World Economy

1. Introduction: how geography shapes economic activities, location and spatial analysis, introduction to globalization, trends in the global production and consumption system
2. Historical development and basic tenets of capitalism (e.g. colonialism and the industrial revolution), market forces, corporations, national economies, labor and class relations and geographies
3. Population dynamics: growth and distribution, demographic stages, migration
4. Resources and the environment: the production and commodification of food, minerals, and energy; carrying capacity, environmental degradation, and sustainability
5. Economic geography theories and models: historical location models, political economy, and current theories
6. Agricultural systems: subsistence and commercial agriculture, agri-business and government policies
7. Manufacturing: historical evolution and centers of production, Fordism, deindustrialization, flexible production and the global assembly line
8. Services: forces of growth, finance and banking, tourism, consumerism
9. Transportation: time-space compression, infrastructure, trade networks
10. Urbanization: urban economics, agglomeration, sprawl, urban decay and renewal
11. Economic Development: Measuring development, Understanding inequities and uneven development, development strategies
12. International Trade: commodity flows, competition and economic niches, mobile capital, trade barriers, trade organizations and alliances

1. describe the influence of geography (location and spatial differentiation) on economic activities using social scientific terminology and tying in spatial understandings, models, and theories.
2. employ the research methods and data geographers use to study economic issues.
3. explain key elements of the global economy ¿ its historical evolution, its institutions and dynamics, and structure.
4. explain trade and economic patterns, relations, and roles in a global system.
5. illustrate concepts, characteristics, and theories regarding the basic components of an economic system.
6. analyze and articulate the nature of inequalities, how they are measured, and development strategies to address them.

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