ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY ESSAY
Please download the document to see detailed requirements.
Brief:
less than 1000 word essay
about unevenness and capitalism
Attached document:
related ppt slides, essay requirements,rubrics
GGR209- Economic Geography
Think Spatially about the Economy
Geography Lesson
Lesson Objectives:
to introduce the geographical themes
of spatial patterns, the distinctiveness
of place, connections across space,
territorial power and scale
What is Economic Geography?
Economic relationships and
processes happen in
particular ______ and across
(interconnected) ________.
Biggest Export Sector by Country, 2014
https://www.weforum.org/agenda2016/03/this-map-shows-every-country-s-major-export/
What exports play an
important role in the global
economy? What is the spatial
pattern?
What is Economic Geography?
In our geographical approach to the economy, we will answer these questions:
Economic geographers ask how economic _________ across space are
configured and why certain economic _________ take place where they do.
How are economic activities distributed
______ across space and how do we
explain the unevenness of economic
life?
How do the _______ features of specific
places shape the form and development
of economic activities?
How are economic activities across
space __________ together so that
what happens in one place profoundly
affects what happens in another?
How does ______ over space, especially
in the form of territory controlled by
governments (the state), influence
economic lives and landscapes?
5
An Example of Economic Geography
Coffee is an ________ item that
illustrates how, although not
always obvious, activities in one
location are part of a larger
pattern.
Coffee comes from a
_____; coffee is
grown.
______ is coffee
grown?
What factors determine or greatly influence
where an economic activity is _________?
Which factors are not relevant to where an
economic activity is located?
In other words, what is the location criteria
for economic activity?
Patterns of Location:
https://www.coffeeforless.com/blogs/product-articles/coffee-
bean-growing-belt
How would you describe the spatial
pattern of growing coffee?
https://www.coffeeforless.com/blogs/product-articles/coffee-bean-growing-belt
Uniqueness of Place:
A place is a unique collection of ______
and physical features on the earth’s
surface.
This includes environmental conditions,
physical and human landscapes, cultural
practices, political institutions, social life,
and economic activities.
What elements of physical place have
economic significance (what does nature
provide that is useful)?
Uniqueness of Place:
The following are all human activities that give rise to unique characteristics of
particular places, which may vary greatly between places:
forms of ____________
religious traditions
linguistic groups
norms relating to gender roles
architecture
artistic expression
ways of interacting with other _________
levels of wealth and ___________ of wealth
the types of work that people do
the shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes that exist and the things that they sell
10
Networks Connect Place:
Spaces are linked economically through:
1. Firms and production _________ (corporate systems)
2. The ________ (e.g. waste, pollution, climate change)
3. The global _________ system
11
Territory and Space
The demarcation of, and _______ over, space combine to create territory.
Governments exercise a primary form of territorial power by:
creating _______ that control flows of commodities, people, money and information
shaping and managing economic activities within a set of spatial boundaries
The Facebook friend map, 2010
https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/dec/14/facebook-friends-mapping
National governments may also actively seek to _______
certain economic activities.
14
Patterns of Unevenness:
Why, over time, has _____accumulated in
some countries and not others countries?
A single cup of Starbucks
coffee can depend upon
as many as 19 different
countries. Between the
coffee beans, the milk,
the sugar and the paper
cup, Starbucks coffee is a
global hub that connects
some of the poorest
countries in the world
with some of the
wealthiest
Starbucks
stores by
country
Describe the spatial
pattern of Starbucks
coffee consumption.
15
An _______
_________of
Coffee
Production and
Consumption
Patterns of Unevenness:
Scale:
Spatial patterns can be explained
through _________ at one scale or
across multiple scales.
Source: Adaptation from Castree, N., Coe, N. M., Ward, K. and Samers, M. (2004) Spaces of Work:
Global Capitalism and, Geographies of Labour, figure 0.1.
What scale is most informative?
19
Patterns of Location
Uniqueness of Place
Networks
Territory
Scale
Summary of Concepts
20
Lecture Questions are revealed in the final
slide of lecture.
Watch the video! GGR209H5S- Economic Geography
Sept. 21, 2017
1
Capitalism & Uneven Development
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:World_map_GDP_per_capita.svg
GDP per Capita, by
Countries, 2012
2
Class Outline
1. Explanations of Uneven Geographical Development
a) Environmental Determinism
b) Modernization Theory (and Rostows Model of Development)
c) Political Economy (and World-Systems Theory
2. What is capitalism?
3. Capitalism in Flux
Defining Development
Development is a process of __________.
– economic growth
– socio-economic transformation
A country that is developing is making _______ or advancement
in technology, production and socio-economic well-being.
Defining Development
Development is evident in:
_________________
Global Connectivity (trade,
technology communication)
_________ standard of living
Uneven Economic Development
How can we explain this pattern of unevenness?
1. The _______________ (environmental determinism)
2. Just a point in time ( __________________ theory)
3. Societal ___________, like government, trade
regulations, and economic decision making (political
economy)
https://portside.org/2016-11-06/measuring-
global-inequality
Uneven Economic Development
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Explanation through:
Environmental Determinism
a stream of thought that sees
___________ surroundings as
major (or maybe the main)
determinant of how a society
functions
a stream of thought that says _____________
countries will evolve towards a Western industrial
model, and given enough time, will achieve similar
development standards
economies can develop if they adopt the
appropriate ________ and strategies
suggests that uneven development is a __________
condition that will naturally be overcome
Explanation through:
Modernization Theory
https://letsdevafrica.wordpress.com/2015/0
5/28/ghana-development-report-using-
modernization-theory-to-explain-progress-
post-1983/
a stream of thought that sees uneven
development as a product of __________
Explanation through:
Political Economy
What is Capitalism?
Capitalism is an economic system
where exchange happens using ______
and the purpose is to accumulate
individual surplus ________.
Private property, private capital (e.g.,
machinery) and wage labour are central
in this structure.
What is Capitalism?
A market economy (free enterprise):
the government has a very ________ role in the
economy but provides essential services
individual producers determine the production,
distribution and consumption of goods
businesses are motivated by ________
customer demand affects supply as well as the
price of products
there is a high potential for ________ in society
Thinking Structurally:
goes behind the everyday processes in
which we participate
asks about the underlying ______ of how
economic relationships are organized (i.e.
how is the economic system structured?)
goes beyond thinking about the motivations
and experiences of ____________
Fundamentals of the Capitalist System
Fundamentals of the Capitalist System
How is wealth created?
__________: the benefit we get from having or consuming something
______________: the monetary worth of a good or service traded in
the market economy
Capitalism involves the creation of value in ________ labour and the
private ownership of property and assets.
Fundamentals of the Capitalist System
_________: owns the means of
production (property and capital) and
buys labour power from individuals to
execute the production process
Worker/labourer: do not own the
means of production but _____ their
labour to the capitalist production
process
Fundamentals of the Capitalist System
Growth rests on the _________of labour (surplus value
extraction).
____________: the amount of value that a person
produces in access of what he or she is paid.
Example: A waitress works a 5 hour shift and sells
$1000 worth of food. The waitress earns $6.95/hr
earning $34.46, in total. The difference is PROFIT for
the restaurant employer.
Surplus Value
Fundamentals of the Capitalist System
Capitalism is profit-oriented: _______ is essential
for profit.
Social Classes:
Fundamentals of the Capitalist System
Capitalism is about the relationships between
different ___________: a capitalist class that owns
the means of production (including private
property) and a working class that owns the labour
it sells to the capitalist.
http://www.cartooningcapitalism.com/iww
-cartoons
________________ (Wallerstein 1970s): A political economic approach to understanding
uneven geographical development that has emerged with capitalism in the world economy.
Explanation through:
Political Economy
_______ = higher levels of education, higher
salaries, more technologies, diversified economies
generates more wealth
________ = lower levels of education, lower
salaries, less technology, generates less wealth
Semi-Periphery = both core a periphery processes
occur; are exploited by the core, but in turn, they
exploit the periphery
Not all places are equally wealthy in the capitalist world economy =
________________________.
Explanation through:
Political Economy
Contradictions of Capitalism #1
The _________ in the price of labour that accompanies economic
growth is driven by the quest for profit that requires labour costs to
be _____________.
How to decrease labour costs?
hire foreign/immigrant workers
temporary and contract work
avoid unionization
reduce wages (cheap labour)
mechanization (technological fix)
Contradictions of Capitalism #1
____________: technology is used to make production more cost
efficient.
Creates a ________________
Contradictions of Capitalism #1
Profit, in part, is based on _______
labour.
At a global scale, this translates into
corporations moving production to
places in the world with the cheapest
________ supply.
________________ = Companies in the
developed world take advantage of cheap
labour in the developing world.
The global division of labour is a
function of capitalisms drive for profit
in a capitalist economy by reducing
_______.
Contradictions of Capitalism #1
Contradictions of Capitalism #2
Workers produce more for the capitalists than they earn for themselves, not making
enough money to provide sufficient __________ for all the goods they produced for
the capitalists.
_________________: the
circumstance in which capital
produces more than it can sell
Overaccumulation can take the form of:
overproduction of _______________
surplus inventories
partially finished commodities
idle capital
cash _____________
falling rates of return
lack of investment
unemployed labourers (reserve army of
labour)
Capital becomes
_____________ in ____
and lacks outlets for
productive and
profitable investments.
Contradictions of Capitalism #2
How can capitalism survive overaccumulation?
Spatial fix: involves opening up new ________ for capitalist
production
The Spatial Fix
– Capitalism uses space to help
solve the crisis of
overaccumulation
– Capitalism uses space to help it
solve its contradictions and
survive.
The Spatial Fix
_____________________________: an outlet for capital investment.
Capital is deferred to other places. Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
expanding and improving the
_______ environment
transportation networks
water supply
waste disposal
communication projects
Contradictions of Capitalism #3
As soon as capitalism creates a
landscape to ensure profitability, the
process of making the landscape
____________ immediately begins.
Capital flees the crisis it creates only
to bring the same processes
elsewhere, which will ultimately lead
to the same crisis it was _______ in
the first place.
Capitalism as a State of Flux
With each era, the capitalist system has created production facilities,
infrastructure and even whole landscapes that have suited its needs at a given
point in time.
__________________
Figure 3.3. Waves of industrialization in East,
Southeast, and South Asia, 1950present. (2nd ed of
Textbook)
! !
A landscape of
____________
capitalism: an industrial
park in Suzhou, China.
Capitalism as a State of Flux
_______________: in order for development to take place in one
area of the world, underdevelopment has to take place in another.
Capitalism as a State of Flux
Rust Belt, North-Eastern United States
Capitalism as a State of Flux
spatial configurations are produced
by capital, only to be torn down and
reconfigured through subsequent
rounds of ______________
capital can leave a place but can
________ back and revitalize
economic activity Baltimore Waterfront, Maryland, USA
Figure 3.4. Spatial divisions of labour (from 3rd ed. of textbook.
Capitalism as a State of Flux
Summary Points on
Uneven Economic Growth
Economic landscapes are ____________
changing.
In capitalisms attempt to accumulate
wealth, it creates uneven development
across space and through time.
Spatial _________ is fundamental to the
workings of the capitalist system, and we
can expect it to continue.
Mumbai, India, 2018 1
GGR209- Economic Geography
Migrant Labour
Class Outline
1. Arguments Against Migration
2. Trends in the Labour Market
3. Migrant Types
4. Migrant Labour and Places of Settlement
5. Migrant Labour and Places of Origin
6. Migration Industry
Arguments Against Migration
1. The flow of migrants across borders
undermines control of the state.
In reality: border crossings are very much
__________ and regulated by the state
2. Migrants are a drain on the economic
resources of a country.
In reality: this varies spatially depending on
the regimes of social ________ and social
services of a place
Arguments Against Migration
3. Migrants take jobs from those who are locals in a particular place.
In reality: this is often difficult to determine because it requires us to know
whether those jobs would have ______ without migrants willing to take them and
whether local residents would be willing to take these jobs in their ________.
4. Migrants undercut local wages and working conditions.
In reality: impacts on wages are on specific _________ _ jobs related to certain
segments of the labour force where migrants are competing for work
Trends in the Labour Market
Migrants are a symptom of _____________ working conditions rather than a
cause. The increasing use of migrant employees, especially in low-paid work, is
part of a much wider trend that has seen labour markets changing.
Trends in the Labour Market
Precarious Employment:
describes employment with less ________ and security and with fewer benefits. It
usually describes unpredictable, temporary work rather than full-time permanent
work.
Sub-Contracting & Agency Work:
describes employers in the public and private sectors that
are ___________ work out to companies
Trends in the Labour Market
Deepening Inequality:
more and more people are living at the ____________ of the labour market
(i.e. low pay)
Automation & Mechanization:
_______ jobs replaced in factories,
offices, farms, etc.
Trends in the Labour Market
Expanding Care Work:
With both parents likely to be working to
support the family, a large __________
workforce is needed. With an aging society,
elder care work is necessary as well.
Globalization of Production:
The ease with with capital can take advantage of ___________ labour impacts
jobs elsewhere.
If those are the trends in the broader labour
market, where do migrants fit into the picture?
Being a migrant engaged in these types of work
is one further form of ___________________.
Migrants often have ________ rights and end up
working in these new conditions.
Trends in the Labour Market
Migrant Types
Not all migrants are the same they come in many varieties and often it is the
__________ power of the state that defines who legally ________ and who
does not belong in a given territory.
Migrant Types
Elite Migrants
those with ________ incomes with
management positions in top level firms
governments often put into place
favourable _______, tax structures and
regulation to meet their needs
Migrant Types
Economic Immigration Programs
those with special ___________ and stills according to the needs of a local
labour market
higher levels of _____________, professional credentials, work experiences,
language fluency, age and family connections within the destination are all
considered favourable
Migrant Types
Skilled Return Migration
those who work study and live ________
but then return to their home country
they play a role in economic ___________
governments offer ______ citizenship, tax
incentives and relocation subsidies
Internal Migrants
those who migrate at national or __________ scale
China and the European Union provide 2 examples
Migrant Types
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Thirty-
largest-interprovincial-migration-flows-in-China-
2005-10-Source-State-Council_fig1_330692235
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Thirty-largest-interprovincial-migration-flows-in-China-2005-10-Source-State-Council_fig1_330692235
Migrant Types
Temporary Foreign Workers:
those who are permitted to work in another
country where they do not have _________
residence
have fewer rights and could face the threat of
deportation or nonrenewal from future _______
visas _______them to work for only 1 specified
employer and to do only 1 specified type of work
Migrant Types
Undocumented Migrants:
those who are the most
_________ because they live
and work without legal status
many people become illegal if
visas are not ___________
Geographies of Migration Channels and Hotspots
Top Migration Corridors, 2013
Stock of Migrants, millions
Figure 6.4 (from textbook)
Migrant Labour and Places of Settlement
What effect does migrant labour have on the places where they settle?
In places that employ migrant workers ___________, they can have a
significant impact on economic activity in a variety of ways.
Migrant labour has several features.
Migrant Labour and Places of Settlement
In some places, their __________
allows certain kinds of production or
economic activity that would not
otherwise have taken place.
Migrant Labour and Places of Settlement
Migrant workers have a significant impact on
the _________ sphere with respect to
providing reproductive labour (e.g. cooking,
cleaning, childcare)
Migrant Labour and Places of Settlement
Migrant workers can be controlled and
__________ because of their precarious
status in the host economy.
Migrant Labour and Places of Settlement
Seasonal Agricultural Workers
Program (SAWP):
locked into a contract to do a
certain job for a certain
__________
difficult to _______ healthcare
can be blacklisted
work on farms in _______ areas
A _________ is money sent back
home by migrant workers.
The countries receiving the
highest levels of remittances are
generally ______- and
middle-income countries, with
India, China, the Philippines, and
Mexico topping the list.
https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2012/04/28/new-rivers-of-gold
Migrant Labour and Places of Origin
https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2012/04/28/new-rivers-of-gold
Migrant Labour and Places of Origin
An optimistic view sees remittances
as:
money fueling everyday ___________
________ new businesses
providing _______ to existing businesses
Improving quality of life
________ infant mortality rates
increasing life expectancy
increased access to health services
Migrant Labour and Places of Origin
An pessimistic view sees remittances
as:
not sustaining _________ livelihoods
(but short term consumption)
creating a brain drain
increasing income __________ in home
countries
impacting inflation
____________ children from parents
The movements of migrants are shaped and
guided by an array of _________through which
migrants are advised, recruited, regulated,
trained, transported and connected with
employers.
Migration Industry
Migration Industry
The Migration Industry in
Toronto, Canada
Figure 6.8 (from textbook) 1
NAME (PRINT):
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STUDENT #:
SIGNATURE:
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UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA
AUGUST 2020 FINAL EXAMINATION TAKE HOME
GGR209H5S
Economic Geography
Susan Dupej
Released 11am, August 17, to be submitted by 11am, (Mississauga time) August 22
The University of Toronto Mississauga and you, as a student, share a commitment to academic
integrity. Turnitin will be used to ensure academic integrity is upheld.
In submitting this take home exam, I confirm that my conduct during this exam adheres to the Code
of Behaviour on Academic Matters. I confirm that I did NOT act in such a way that would constitute
cheating, misrepresentation, or unfairness, including but not limited to, using unauthorized
assistance (including working with other students to respond to questions), impersonating another
person, and committing plagiarism.
Please save your file with the name format
GGR209_LASTNAME_STUDENTNUMBER.docx and upload to Quercus when
complete.
Please note, once this exam is submitted, you CANNOT re-write it.
GGR209 Economic Geography, July/August 2020 Take Home Exam
2
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, MISSISSAUGA
GGR209H5S
Economic Geography
Final Exam Take-Home
August 17-22, 2020
INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS
This is a take-home exam.
Date assigned: August 17, 2020 @11:00am (last day of class)
Date due: August 22, 2020 @11:00am
Essay format: Using course material from lecture and textbook (from the entire term), students
will write an essay on an argument provided to them about economic geography. References
must be provided using in-text citations for any ideas, arguments or wording from the textbook
(e.g. author, year of publication, page number) or lecture (e.g. Dupej, 2020, Lecture #). Students
are to provide a bibliography.
Answer length: Answers should be no more than 1000 words. Use Times New Roman or Arial
12-point font. Write the essay in a separate word document.
Submission method: Upload a doc. or pdf. file to the Quercus site under the assignment tab
called Take Home Exam. Please save your file with the name format:
GGR209_LASTNAME_STUDENTNUMBER.docx
Exam Value: The take-home exam is out of 35 marks. Please see the rubric on the last page,
which will be used to grade the essay. The final take home exam is worth 35% of the overall
course grade.
GGR209 Economic Geography, July/August 2020 Take Home Exam
3
Essay (35 Marks)
Instructions: Using course material (lectures and textbook) from the entire term, write an essay
with sentences and paragraphs of no more than 1000 words that provides evidence to support
the argument/thesis statement provided below. Your answer needs to be structured in essay
format with an introduction, body paragraphs with sub-arguments (to support the main
argument), as well as a conclusion. Sub-headings can be used if students prefer but are not
required. References must be provided using in-text citation for any ideas, arguments or wording
from the textbook (e.g. author, year of publication, page number) or lecture (e.g. Dupej, 2020,
Lecture #). Students are to provide a bibliography.
Argument: Uneven geographic development is a major feature of the capitalist economy.
GGR209 Economic Geography, July/August 2020 Take Home Exam
4
Rubric: Final Exam Take Home
The essay:
Missing/Does
not meet
Requirement
(F)
(0)
Not Acceptable;
Incompetent
Skill
(F)
(1-2)
Poor;
Marginally meets the
Requirement;
Questionable Skill;
Needs Improvement
(D – D+)
(2.5)
Requires Work;
Needs Further
Explanation;
Unclear
(C C+)
(3)
Satisfactory; Meets
the Requirement;
Competent Skills
(B B+)
(3.5)
Well Done; Fairly
High Degree of
Skill; Marginal
Improvement
(A)
(4)
Exceptional;
Skill is Above and
Beyond; Needs No
Improvement
(A+)
(4.5-5)
Provides an introduction that introduces
the topic, identifies the argument and
includes a roadmap for how the essay is
structured.
Provides specific evidence/sub-
arguments to support the main argument.
Provides supporting references (i.e. in-
text citations and bibliography)
Clearly connects to course material.
Provides a conclusion that summarizes
the essay as well as additional insight
gained while writing the essay.
Is well written: it is detailed, logical
thorough, organized, clearly articulates
ideas and has no grammatical or spelling
errors; argument is coherent and
consistent
Demonstrates an overall understanding of
the argument presented.
Student Score
Total (/35)
Grade out of 35 Description
31.5-35
(A+)
The answer is exceptional: it includes many specific terms/concepts from lecture and textbook (i.e. is relevant and highly detailed),
demonstrates a thorough understanding of course material, demonstrates writing skills above and beyond (i.e. very clearly written;
nothing needs clarification), provides in-depth analysis (i.e. is very well-connected to lecture material); may require no improvement.
28-31
(A)
The answer is very well done: it uses several terms/concepts from lecture (i.e. is relevant and detailed), demonstrates a good
understanding of course material, demonstrates a high degree of writing skill (i.e. is clear but may contain typos or grammatical errors),
provides some degree of analysis (i.e. is connected to lecture material); requires marginal improvement.
GGR209 Economic Geography, July/August 2020 Take Home Exam
5
24.5-27.5
(B B+)
The answer is satisfactory: it uses a few terms/concepts from lecture but could be more relevant and detailed (i.e. is somewhat vague),
demonstrates a general understanding of course material, demonstrates competent writing skills but could be more clearly written,
connects to lecture material but lacks meaningful analysis; requires moderate improvement.
21-24
(C C+)
The answer requires work: terms and concepts from lecture material are presented but are vague (i.e. requires more specific detail as well
as more terms and concepts), demonstrates a limited understanding of course material, demonstrates unclear writing that needs further
explanation, does not contain meaningful analysis and/or is loosely connected to course terms and concepts, requires moderate
improvement.
17.5-20.5
(D D+)
The answer is poor: it marginally and vaguely addresses course terms and concepts, demonstrates an understanding of course material
that is questionable, demonstrates questionable writing skills that requires further explanation (i.e. writing is unclear and confusing),
does not contain analysis, requires substantial improvement.
1-17
(F)
The answer is not acceptable: it is unrelated to terms/concepts from lecture and vague, demonstrates a lack of understanding course
material, demonstrates incompetent writing skills, does not make sense and/or appears to be written in haste, contains no analysis, seems
unfinished.
0 No answer submitted
Essay (35 Marks) Worksheet Argumentative Research Paper
This worksheet is to help students collect and organize the pieces of information needed to construct an argumentative essay. Its purpose is to act as a guide for writing the research paper.
INTRODUCTION
Topic:
Specific Issue:
First Sentence:
Thesis Statement:
Sub-argument 1:
*Sub-argument 2:
* Students may have more than 2 sub-arguments
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY OF THE TOPIC
Background:
Significance:
PRESENTATION OF EVIDENCE
Sub-argument 1:
Evidence & reference –
–
Evidence & reference –
–
Evidence & reference –
–
Sub-argument 2:
Evidence & reference –
–
Evidence & reference –
–
Evidence & reference –
–
CONCLUSION
Re-state thesis:
Summary:
Insight & Implications:
Final Sentence:
BIBLIOGRAPHY
GEOGRAPHY Academic journal article 1:
Academic journal article 2:
Other academic sources not required
Non-academic sources not required
1
