[geogu-l] Geography 498: Seminar in Economic Geography [DRAFT] (fwd)

[RICHARD ROTH]

Dear students,

Geography 498 for Spring Quarter will be a 5-credit course that will count 
within the Economic Geography concentration as one of your 400-level courses.

Geography 498 is a relatively rare offering that will serve as a substitute 
for Geography 440 in both the concentration and the methods requirements. Designed as a seminar style course, Geog 498 will allow for a small group 
of students to work closely with Professor Harrington on research tailored to the interests of each student.  For more information, see the below description, or come in to talk with Todd and Andy about the differences between Geog 440 and Geog 498.


UNDERGRADUATE SEMINAR  IN  ECONOMIC  GEOGRAPHY
Geography 498, Spring 2007
Wednesdays, 2:30 – 4:50 Professor J.W. Harrington
"W" course
Methods course

This Spring Quarter, a small group of students will explore these questions 
together:

•	What sorts of actors are fundamental to understanding events and trends in the world economy – international corporations, financial traders, national 
governments, knowledge workers?  What are the fundamental actors in regional 
economies (like metropolitan Seattle), which don’t have a single government, 
and which are necessarily “open” to national and international flows of 
capital, workers, and ideas?

•	In such a world, what elements can be considered characteristic of or 
specific to a given region – or must regions be considered passive, temporary 
vessels for national and international flows?

•	What does it mean to say we live in a “knowledge economy”?  How can we 
possibly say where knowledge resides, or where it is created?

•	In such a world, what influences the production, procurement, and location 
decisions of firms?

•	What impact can an individual thinker have on how we study these issues?


In addition, each student will develop her/his individual thinking, through a 
series of increasingly focused, written arguments or proposals.  The class will 
be small enough that the nature of this assignment will be tailored to the 
individual student.  Possibilities include:

•	Develop an empirical understanding of relevant economic issues (e.g., foreign investment;  the economic or environmental sustainability of a region’s 
international exports)  for one particular region.

•	Dig into a public-policy debate or need (tax policy to encourage economic development;  the best means for improving workforce readiness) for a 
particular region of a relevant class of regions.

•	Propose and design a rigorous empirical investigation of an important 
question (the impact of university presence, size, and quality for regional 
economic growth;  national or regional institutional effects on the work 
experience of transmigrants (or the work experience of undocumented workers); 
explaining interregional or interstate differences in the growth of a 
particular economic sector;  exploring the subnational, regional impact of 
international trade policy)