GEOG 345 - Economic Geography

Globalization, which demands a thematic emphasis on how local economies relate to produce the global and also how “the local” is entangled in “the global,” is the starting point for the course. The building of great cities, the extraction of natural resources, the migration of people in search of economic opportunity, and the creation of vast networks (both physical and virtual) of communication and transportation are all examples of economic phenomena that shape and define landscapes of globalization. This course is an introduction to economic geography and spatial dimensions of economic change. During the semester, students examine how their world has given rise to and been shaped by economic forces. Issues and themes include: (1) the historical geography of capitalism; (2) spatial patterns of economic interaction, including directional flows of goods, labor, consumers, and firms; (3) forces and actors promoting global economic interconnectivity, including transnational corporations, trade routes, trading blocks, international financial institutions, and technologies that mitigate the economic impact of distance and borders; (4) geographies of development and underdevelopment, and shifting geographical patterns of wealth, poverty, and economic growth; and (5) social difference and issues of social justice as related to the global economy. No prerequisites; sophomores, juniors, and seniors only. Spring (Group I) (Diversity)