Economic Geography

GEOG2641 is a Level-2 module that offers an introduction to economic geography.

Staff
The module team for 2025/2026 is Professor Paul Langley (module convenor), Dr Sam Nowak and Professor Karen Lai.

Aims

The module aims to introduce students to developments in economic geography, one of the widely recognised sub-fields of human geography. As with other disciplines in the social sciences, how economic geographers theorise, conceptualise and debate the economic has changed considerably across recent decades. Rather than providing a historical account of these changes, the module will promote an appreciation of key approaches and debates as they find expression in competing understandings of the spaces and spatiality of economies across both the Global North and Global South. To this end, students are encouraged to engage critically with concepts and issues in contemporary economic geography, with particular reference to four main module components or blocks: worlds of production, worlds of work, worlds of services, and digital economic worlds.

Module Structure

Economic Geography is delivered through a programme of weekly activities based around lectures or workshops and a final Class Conference at the beginning of Term 3.

Following the Introductory lecture and workshop, the module is organised into a series of four main teaching blocks. Each of the blocks lasts for four weeks and includes a series of weekly lectures followed by a workshop. Each block addresses a particular economic-geographical ‘world’, reflecting the tendency for economic geographers to specialise in particular domains of economic practice (e.g. production, work, services, etc.). Each block will also draw out theoretical and conceptual debates within the field of economic geography that produce competing understandings of these worlds and their practices.

Assignments & Assessment

For formative assignments, students will take turns to be the ‘lead group’ in small group workshop discussions and make presentations at the Class Conference held at the conclusion of the module.

Summative assessment is 50% coursework (analytical essay) and 50% exam at the end of the year.

Weekly Schedule
For my block on ‘Worlds of Services’, lectures and workshop will cover the following.

• Financial markets and business services
• Money cultures and financialisation
• Retail and consumption
• Workshop – Worlds of Services

For the reading list, information on content by other staff and other details about the module, login to Durham Learn Ultra.