Economic Geography

Description

The turbulence of the current times has dramatically transformed the world’s economic geographies. The scale and scope of such changes require urgent attention. With intellectual roots dating to the 19^th century economic geography has traditionally sought to examine the spatial distributions of economic activity and the principles that account for them. More recently, the field has turned its attention to a range of questions relating to: globalization and its impact on different peoples and places; economic inequalities at different geographic scales; the development of the knowledge-based economy; and the relationship between economy and environment. Now more than ever the changing fortunes of peoples and places demands our attention.

Economic Geography provides a stimulating and innovative introduction to economic geography by establishing the substantive concerns of economic geographers, the methods deployed to study them, the key concepts and theories that animate the field, and the major issues generating debate. This book is the first to address the diverse approaches to economic geography as well as the constantly shifting economic geographies on the ground. It encompasses traditional approaches, albeit from a critical perspective, while providing a thorough, accessible and engaging examination of the concerns, methods and approaches of the ‘new economic geography’. This unique introductory text covers the breadth of economic geography while engaging with a range of contemporary debates at the cutting-edge of the field.

Written in an accessible and lucid style, this book offers a thorough and systematic introductory survey. It is enhanced by pedagogical features throughout including case studies dealing with topics ranging from the head office locations of the Fortune 500, Mexico’s maquiladoras to China’s investments in southern Africa. This book also contains exercises based on the key concepts and annotated further reading and websites.

Contents

1. Introduction Part I Traditional Economic Geographies 2. Traditional Location Theory 3. Modeling Economic Geographies Part II Geographies of the Firm and Other Institutions 4. The Geographies of the Firm 5. Going Global Part III Gegraphies of Uneven Development 6. Geographic Inequalities 7. The Chaning Fortunes of Local and Regional Economies Part IV Geographies of Networks, Places and Flows 8. Economic Geography 'Unbound' 9. Conclusions

Author Bio

Andrew Wood teaches courses in Economic and Political Geography. Prior to moving to Oklahoma he spent eight years as a Lecturer in Economic Geography at the University of Sheffield where his teaching responsibilities included Economic Geography at Levels 1 and 2, Local Economic Development (Level 3) and Local Societies and Economies (Level 3). He has published close to thirty papers and book chapters covering topics in economic geography, political geography and urban studies. His research interests include: issues relating to competition and collaboration between firms; globalization; knowledge and learning; urban and regional governance; and the politics of local economic development.

Related Subject

1. Economic Geography