GEOG 5440 - Global Economic Geography: Power, Production, and Poverty in the World Economy

Globalization – the integration of societies and their economies worldwide – is not new. From European colonization centuries ago to today, communities in all regions often faced considerable challenges that were a result of changes in the world economy. Globalization continues to transform our lives at a rapid pace. Economic inequality, political marginalization, and contentious trade relationships are all contemporary international issues. While many traditional economics courses are oriented toward abstract principles and general theory, our course reading and lecture material will be grounded in real-world production, trade, and demographic trends. Students in this course study a wide range of important topics, including food insecurity, labor exploitation, legacies of colonialism in developing regions, and sustainable development, among others. A broad question about our so-called “borderless world” is central to our discussions in this course: When, and for who, do the benefits of economic integration outweigh the costs?