KE5057 - Economy, Space and Development

The curriculum is divided into four discrete sections, and you will learn on this module through a combination of lectures and seminars. Lectures will be used to introduce and develop key topics and issues in contemporary economic geography and will each be accompanied by an electronic reading list. You will then further consolidate and extend your learning of these key topics and issues through smaller seminar group sessions which build on the lecture material. Preparation for these seminars will range from listening to podcasts, doing small pieces of research or critically analysing journal articles or policy papers. In parallel you will also learn via tailored individual feedback on assignments and exams plus generic feedback made available via the eLP.

You will be supported academically by a comprehensive module handbook outlining key dates, all seminar worksheets and assignment briefs for the academic year, plus key textbooks and journals to help you plan your learning and time. You will be given directed reading from each lecture via an electronic reading list, while other learning resources, such as links to government or public-policy reports and newspaper articles will be added to the eLP throughout the course. You will also be able to check your learning and understanding on-the-spot via the use of interactive mobile apps used in some lectures. You will receive tailored written feedback on assessments in addition to generic assessment feedback being made available on Blackboard. In tandem, there will be a structured Discussion Board (i.e lectures, seminars, admin queries, assignment 1 etc) in which you can post and respond to other student queries which will be checked daily by the module tutor. Teaching staff also operate an (virtual/physical) ‘open door’ policy for students meaning you can approach them anytime during normal office hours, or via email, to answer questions, receive feedback and support your learning on the module.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:
• MLO 1: Explain and evaluate why and how economic activity varies over space and time and critically evaluate how the behaviours and strategies of key economic actors shape and produce spatially varied economic geographies and pose implications for uneven development at a variety of spatial scales.
• MLO 2: Critically apply a range of economic-geographical theories and concepts to understand the contemporary dynamics of economic-geographical space noting their insights and limitations.
• MLO 3: Develop and analyse accounts of uneven development in the economy and propose interventions to resolve these.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• MLO 4: Interpret and analyse the world from an economic-geographical perspective using a range of theories and concepts and relate them to contemporary economic debates and issues.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• MLO 5: Demonstrate informed concern about the Earth and its people through the application of appropriate economic-geographical concepts, techniques and expertise

There are two assessments for this module.

The first is a written assignment due mid-semester 1 worth 50% which will assess your understanding of key economic-geographical theories and concepts conveyed throughout the first semester. This will include analysis of key economic ‘drivers’ of spatial imbalance – including policy interventions. You will be supported for this assignment via a video on the eLP and an assignment brief in the module handbook and on the eLP. (MLOs 1,2,3, 5)

. The second element of assessment (50%) will also be based on coursework – a 2000 word report. This is an analytical consultancy/think tank report based upon key themes and content from the module. Students will produce a report which includes data analysis + academic literature. This assessment contributes towards students’ employability by presenting work in a report style format. The submission date will be in the formal examination period of semester 1. (MLO 1 2, 3, 4, 5).

Students will submit both assignments electronically via Turnitin software.

None

Economic geography as an academic discipline and an applied professional field is concerned with understanding how and why economic activities and processes vary over space and time, and the important role of past processes in shaping these spatial manifestations. It is also concerned with developing accounts of uneven spatial development in the (formal and informal) economy based not just on the distribution of economic activities but also by decisions taken by an array of key actors in the economy such as governments (and their public agencies at different levels), regulators, firms, third sector organisations, trade-unions and international / supra-national bodies whose behaviours and strategies can produce unequal and spatially imbalanced growth at a variety of spatial scales. By becoming equipped with the necessary concepts/theories and methods required to interpret the world from an economic-geographical perspective, this module will enable you to critically analyse real world economic debates and better understand the dynamics of economic space.