Course info

A study of the geography of economic globalization and the geography of the world economy. The major topics include the historical development of the world economy and globalization from the geographical perspective, trends in geography of global production, trade and investment, the most important factors and actors in the globalization processes and its geographic effects, geography of transnational corporations, case studies of economic geography of selected industries and service activities, effects of globalization on the developed and developing countries.

Global economy has been undergoing very profound changes since the late 1960s but the greatest changes have taken place since 1990. These changes have been some of the fastest and most ferocious we have seen in modern times. This course examines some of the key themes of these changes commonly described as ‘economic globalization’ from the perspective of Economic Geography. It will focus on causes and consequences of ‘economic globalization’ as well as on its different manifestations in different parts of the world. The overarching aim of this course is to provide students with an understanding of contemporary changes, trends and processes affecting the global economy, countries, regions and industries. One of the most important goals is to develop a critical understanding of the ‘global economy’ from the interdisciplinary perspective – its origins and operation and the reasons for widespread economic inequalities between more and less developed countries.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1.   Define “economic globalization” from the perspective of different groups involved in debates about   globalization.

2.   Describe the historical development of the global economy using various theoretical perspectives from different disciplines.

3.   Identify the most important trends in the contemporary global economy.

4.   Identify and analyze the most important forces driving globalization (technological change, transnational corporations, and states).

5.   Describe uneven effects of globalization in different parts of the world.

6.   Understand the differences in international operations of different industries and economic sectors.