Module Identifier GG25610  
Module Title GEOGRAPHIES OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESTRUCTURING IN CONTEMPORARY BRITAIN  
Academic Year 2004/2005  
Co-ordinator Dr Bill Edwards  
Semester Semester 1  
Other staff Professor Martin R Jones  
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 Lecture   20 Hours 10 x 2 hours  
  Seminars / Tutorials   0 Hours  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Exam2 Hours Unseen Examination Paper (complete two from four question set)100%
Supplementary Exam2 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. Describe and evaluate the key economic and socio-political processes shaping the geographies of contemporary Britain
  2. Appreciate and appraise a range of theoretical interpretations that account for the processes of change
  3. Identify and evaluate a range of data sources and methods that may be used in studying economic and social change and policy engagement
  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

Against a background of global change, this module aims to examine and interpret the key changes taking place in Britain's contemporary capitalist space economy and its associated social and political order.

Brief description

Change has characterised the economic and social landscape in most nations producing uneven geographies and contrasting patterns of devlopment. Understanding of the processes driving these changes and recognition of the importance of locality and region has led to new conceptual and theoretical insights in the social sciences to which geographers are major contributors. This module explores the interconnection of economic, socio-political change planning and policy in shaping region and locality in Britain within the context of a globalising space economy. The themes addressed in this module include:

  1. Perspectives on post-war change: globalization and national response
  2. Geographies of deindustrialisation and reindustrialisation
  3. New industrial spaces
  4. Keynsian welfarism
  5. Schumpeterian workfare states
  6. From central state to market: spatial divisions of welfare in housing, education and health-care
  7. Geography and social change: shifting maps of class and life-style
  8. The consequences of change for localities and communities
  9. From local government to local governance: citizenship and participation
  10. Future agendas: regional, urban and rural policy initiatives

Reading Lists

Books
** Recommended Text
Pinch, S. (1997) Worlds of Welfare: understanding the changing geographies of social welfare provision. Routledge ISBN 0-415-11189-7
Hudson, R. and Williams, A.M. (1995) Divided Britain. 2nd edition. Wiley ISBN 1852931116
Mohan, J. (1999) A United Kingdom? Economic, Social and Political Geographies. Arnold. ISBN 0-340-67752X

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 5