Economic Geography
A Critical Introduction
Trevor J. Barnes, Brett Christophers
- English
- ePUB (adapté aux mobiles)
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Economic Geography
A Critical Introduction
Trevor J. Barnes, Brett Christophers
Ă propos de ce livre
This volume in the celebrated Critical Introductions to Geography series introduces readers to the vibrant discipline of economic geography. The authors provide an original definition of the discipline, and they make a strong case for its vital importance in understanding the dynamic interconnections, movements, and emerging trends shaping our globalized world.
Economic Geography addresses the key theories and methods that form the basis of the discipline, and describes its "communities of practice" and relations to related fields including economics and sociology. Numerous illustrative examples explore how economic geographers examine the world and how and why the discipline takes the forms it does, demonstrating the critical value of economic geography to making sense of globalization, uneven development, money and finance, urbanization, environmental change, and industrial and technological transformation.
Engaging and thought-provoking, Economic Geography: A Critical Introduction is the ideal resource for students studying across a range of subject areas, as well as the general reader with an interest in world affairs and economics.
Foire aux questions
Informations
Chapter 1
Why Economic Geography Is Good For You
- 1.1 Introduction
- 1.2 âMay You Live in Interesting Timesâ: Economic Geographyâs World
- 1.3 Being Critical: In What Sense a âCriticalâ Introduction to Economic Geography?
- 1.4 Outline of the Book
- 1.5 Conclusion
1.1 Introduction
the most amazing thing is, almost no one in America knows its name. Isnât that remarkable? That thereâs a city where almost all of our crap comes from, and no one knows its name? I mean, we think we do know where our crap comes from. Weâre not ignorant. We think our crap comes from China. Right? Kind of a generalized way. China.But it doesnât come from China. It comes from Shenzhen. Itâs a city. Itâs a place.(This American Life 2012)
1.2 âMay You Live in Interesting Timesâ: Economic Geographyâs World
1.2.1 Interesting times
- First, and going directly to Mr Daisey and the Apple factory, is pervasive globalization, a fundamentally economically geographic phenomenon. Economic geography inheres in globalizationâs very definition; it is part of the termâs conceptual furniture. By globalization we mean the everâincreasing economic geographic integration of the world as measured by the movements across national borders of: (i) goods, services, and capital; (ii) labor (people); (iii) knowledge and information (communication); and (iv) cultural goods and activities â sports, cuisines, electronic games, films, music, TV shows, and so on. Globalization goes back a long way, of course. The Ancient Greek poet Homer (that is, if he ever existed!) was writing about globalization as early as around 800 BCE in his epic poem The Odyssey. It featured the soldier and sailor Odysseus and his spectacular global travels (at least global for 800 BCE), involving murderous Cyclops, enchanting and beautiful but deadly temptress Sirens, and evil sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis (Figure 1.1). Globalization is enormously longâstanding, but over the last 30 years or so there has been a quantitative shift in its pace and range, and a qualitative shift in its form. Since 1980 there has been a tenfold growth in the value of world trade in goods and services (US$2.4 trillion in 1980 versus US$23.3 trillion in 2013 in constant dollars); a more than twenty fold increase in the value of the stock of global foreign direct investment (a little over US$1 trillion in 1980 and more than US$22 trillion in 2013); a more than doubling in the number of foreign workers now employed across the world (currently about 3% of the entire worldâs population); a fiftyfold increase between 1980 and 2008 in the number of minutes that US telephone subscribers spend annually making international calls; and a substantial increase i...