Module Information

Module Identifier
GG25610
Module Title
GEOGRAPHIES OF LATE CAPITALISM
Academic Year
2008/2009
Co-ordinator
Dr Gareth C Hoskins
Semester
Semester 1
Pre-Requisite
Registration for Single or Joint Honours Degree Schemes in geography or attendance at one or more of GG/DA 10110, 10210, 10310, 12610

Course Delivery

Delivery Type Delivery length / details
Lecture 18 Hours. 9 x 2 hours
Seminars / Tutorials 0 Hours.
 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Exam 2 Hours   Unseen Examination Paper (complete two from four question set)  100%
Supplementary Exam 2 Hours   Unseen Examination Paper (complete two from four question set)  100%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the key changes taking place within the geography of contemporary capitalism, focusing in particular on the UK, Europe and the United States.

2. Critically evaluate some of the contemporary theoretical approaches to the geography of economic, political, urban and cultural change.

3. Integrate these theoretical approaches towards the interpretation of empirical "observable" processes within a variety of urban, regional and national spaces within 'western' capitalism.

4. Show evidence of the depth of their reading, interpretation and evaluation of current academic and policy practice through the marshalling of an argument in written form.

Aims

  1. Explore key changes taking place within contemporary capitalist space economy and the associated political and social order;
  2. Look specifically at the processes which maintain and unsettle capitalism and how geography is implicated from the global scale to the body.
  3. Introduce a number of theoretical frameworks to help think through geography of key social, economic and political changes.

Brief description

This module focuses on the geographies associated with contemporary capitalism through a number of theoretical approaches The themes addressed in this module include:

  • Global Economic Restructuring
  • Fordism and what's next
  • Alternative Capitalisms
  • Embodying Capitalism through Commodities, Circuits and Cyborgs
  • Mediating Capitalism through Housing
  • Capitalism and the entrepreneurial city
  • New Political Geographies and changing roles of the state
  • Thinking through Governance

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Application of Number Some quantitative data will be included as source material in lectures. Students will be expected to be able to use and interpret such data, where appropriate in their interpretation of
Communication The ability to write effectively on the themes covered will be assessed in the examination. Discussion in the lecture period will be encouraged but not assessed.
Improving own Learning and Performance This module requires an additional three hours self-directed work for each one hour taught - this will necessitate that each student develops self-management and time managment skills.
Information Technology Students will be introduced to the availability, use and evaluation of data and other material derived from on-line sources. Such material may be cited in answers offered on the examination paper.
Personal Development and Career planning The themes addressed in this module provide an important context through which to consider various future career and life paths.
Problem solving The themes addressed in the module identify the challenges facing policy and planning and students are required to be aware of the nature of such problems and reflect critically on strategies that have been adpoted to address them.
Research skills Will be developed and expanded through the range of reading and web-based policy sources examined in support of this module.
Subject Specific Skills No additional subject-specific skills are developed, existing ones may be practiced in the examination.

Reading List

Recommended Text
Amin, A. (1994) Post-Fordism: A Reader Oxford: Blackwell Primo search Gibson-Graham, J.K. (1996) The End of Capitalism (As We Knew It): A Feminist Critique of Political Economy pp 299 Oxford UK and Cambridge USA: Blackwell Publishers Primo search Harvey, D. (1989) The condition of postmodernity. London: Blackwell Primo search Mohan, J. (1999) A United Kingdom? Economic, Social and Political Geographies. Arnold. Primo search Shepard, E. and Barnes, T. (ed) (2000) A companion to economic geography Oxford: Blackwell Primo search Thrift, N. (2004) Knowing capitalism London: Sage Primo search

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 5