Seminar in Economic Geography

 This course introduces the field of economic geography from an institutional perspective. Various urban development and natural resource challenges are examined to illustrate the role that geography plays in economic processes. Contemporary approaches to economic geography are critiqued, including relational economic geography, the creative economy, and environmental economic geography. Course assignments are intended to provide a practical understanding of societal decision-making processes and the resulting environmental, social and economic implications. Case studies focus on processes for developing the next stage of international relations in the context of emerging global economic challenges and differing national responses.

Student materials are available at the OU Bookstore Website at https://ou.textbookx.com/institutional/index.php. The website has book selling, renting, buying, returning, and order tracking capabilities. If you need help with an order, or if you have any questions contact the toll-free phone at 1-(855)-790-6637, agents are available from 9a – 5p (EST) Monday – Friday. Text prices are available online

Hayter, R. & Patchell, J. (2016). Economic geography: An institutional approach (2nd ed.). NewYork: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199013289. 

2.Materials posted on the OU Canvas learning management system: Access Canvas athttps://canvas.ou.edu , enter your OU NetID and password, and select course to access material. Ifyou require assistance with Canvas, please click on the Help icon. You can search the Canvasguides, chat with Canvas support, or contact OU IT.

•To introduce and critique a wide range of perspectives on economic geography.

•To illustrate the role of organizations in economic decision-making.

•To provide a better understanding of regional economic processes in the context of globaleconomic changes and environmental challenges.

•To develop skills that are used by economic professionals to make community developmentdecisions.

Course Overview; Introduction to Economic Geography

•Chapter 1: Markets in Place and Space; Chapter 2: The (Evolving) Spatial Division of Labor

•Chapter 3: Innovation, Evolution and Inequality;

•Chapters 4-7: Institutional Pillars of Modern Space Economics: Businesses, Labor, Government,Non-Profit Organizations

•Introduction to the Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis and Critique

•Role play activity: Nationalism, NATO, North Korea, and the new Political Economy

•Chapters 8-12: Location Dynamics of Value Chains: The Role of Cities, Energy and MineralResources, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Services

•Chapters 13-14: Location Dynamics of Value Chains: Transportation and CommunicationNetworks, Consumption

•Environmental Economic Geography and Relational Economic Geography: Readings: Gibbs(2006); Bridge (2008); Hayter (2008); Sunley (2008)

•Green Innovation Systems and Green Economic Development: A New Political Economy?

•Test in class

Major Term Paper: 

Each student will write a 10-page double-spaced paper, with 12-point Times New Roman font. The paper must answer the following question: What is the role of geography in understanding innovation as a driver of economic development? The page limit excludes reference page, title page, and any charts or graphs. Students must cite a minimum of 10 refereed journal articles as sources in the text, in addition to websites and government documents as needed. 

Environmental Kuznets Curve: 

In groups of 3, find two peer reviewed journal articles on the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). Read these articles, find a definition of the EKC, give examples of the types of pollutants that have been shown to display the inverted U-shaped curve, and describe various explanations for the EKC that the studies focus on. Next, find data for CO2 or greenhouse gas emissions for a country, state, or city. Then, find 3 and/or calculate GDP per capita figures for that same jurisdiction. Calculate and display the EKC on a graph for your jurisdiction following best practices from the literature. 

Test: 

The test will be based on the readings from the textbook and on Canvas. It will contain multiple choice and true and false questions. The test will be done in class at the end of the second week’s class. 

Participation: 

Participation grades will be assigned based on regular and enthusiastic discussion, as well as during the group role play assignments conducted in class. Students must also complete the required readings prior to each week’s class. 

This is a letter-graded course: A, B, C, D, or F. 

Notice: Failure to meet assignment due dates could result in a grade of I (Incomplete) and may adversely impact Tuition Assistance and/or Financial Aid. 

Attendance/Grade Policy

Attendance and participation in interaction, individual assignments, group exercises, simulations, role playing, etc. are valuable aspects of any course because much of the learning comes from discussions in class with other students. It is expected that you attend all classes and be on time except for excused emergencies.

Excused absences are given for professor mandated activities or legally required activities such as emergencies or military assignments. It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required class work that may fall on religious holidays. Unavoidable personal emergencies, including (but not limited to) serious illness; delays in getting to class because of accidents, etc.; deaths and funerals, and hazardous road conditions will be excused.

If you are obtaining financial assistance (TA, STAP, FA, VA, Scholarship, etc.) to pay all or part of your tuition cost, you must follow your funding agency/institution’s policy regarding “I” (Incomplete) grades unless the timeline is longer than what the University policy allows then you must adhere to the University policy. Students who receive Financial Aid must resolve/complete any “I” (Incomplete) grades by the end of the term or he/she may be placed on “financial aid probation.” If the “I” grade is not resolved/completed by the end of the following term, the student’s Financial Aid may be suspended make the student ineligible for further Financial Aid.

Students are responsible for meeting the guidelines of Tuition Assistance and Veterans Assistance. See the education counselor at your local education center for a complete description of your TA or VA requirements.

OU faculty will submit grades online through ONE not later than 30 days after the course end date. Course end dates are approximately one calendar month after the final seminar date on this syllabus and are provided on the official scheduling website for reference.

Academic Integrity and Student Conduct 

Academic integrity means honesty and responsibility in scholarship. Academic assignments exist to help students learn; grades exist to show how fully this goal is attained. Therefore all work and all grades should result from the student's own understanding and effort.

Academic misconduct is any act which improperly affects the evaluation of a student’s academic performance or achievement. Misconduct occurs when the student either knows or reasonably should know that the act constitutes misconduct. Academic misconduct includes: cheating and using unauthorized materials on examinations and other assignments; improper collaboration, submitting the same assignment for different classes (self-plagiarism); fabrication, forgery, alteration of documents, lying, etc…in order to obtain an academic advantage; assisting others in academic misconduct; attempting to commit academic misconduct; destruction of property, hacking, etc…; intimidation and interference with integrity process; and plagiarism. All students should review the Student’s Guide to Academic Integrity at http://integrity.ou.edu/students_guide.html 

Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. All students should review policies regarding student conduct at http://studentconduct.ou.edu/ 

Accommodation Statement

The University of Oklahoma is committed to making its activities as accessible as possible. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact your local OU Site Director.

Adjustment for Pregnancy/Childbirth-Related Issues

Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact the professor as soon as possible to discuss. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Please see http://www.ou.edu/content/eoo/faqs/pregnancy-faqs.html. 

Title IX Resources

For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no-contact orders, scheduling adjustments, and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at [email protected] or (405) 325-2215 (8-5), or the Sexual Assault Response Team at (405) 615 -0013 (24/7) to report an incident. To learn more about Title IX, please visit the Institutional Equity Office’s website at http://www.ou.edu/content/eoo.html 

Course Policies

Extended Campus (also and formerly known as Advanced Programs) policy is to order books in paperback if available. Courses, dates, and professors are subject to change. Please check with your OU Site Director. Students should retain a copy of any assignments that are e/mailed to the professor for the course. Neither duplicating services nor office supplies are provided.

Any and all course materials, syllabus, lessons, lectures, etc. are the property of professor teaching the course and the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma and are protected under applicable copyright.

For more information about OU Extended Campus, visit our website at: http://www.goou.ou.edu/

Statement on Respect

The classroom should provide a safe learning environment where students can express their views without fear of reprisal. That freedom of expression must be balanced by demonstrated respect for other’s viewpoints and appropriate and reasonable sensitivity, especially within the context of scholarly disagreement.  Disrespectful or uncivil dialogue (including, but not limited to, personal attacks, insults, or harassment) will not be tolerated.

Recording Devices/Phones/Computers

It is important for students to be fully present during class to fully benefit from lectures, discussions, and experiential assignments. Class sessions may not be tape-recorded. All telephones and pagers should be turned off or placed on silent mode. Computers may not be used during class. Students who require an exception to this policy should discuss exceptional circumstances with the professor.

Travis Gliedt, Ph.D. 

Education 

•2005, BES, University of Waterloo, Geography

•2006, MAES, University of Waterloo, Local Economic Development

•2012, Ph.D. University of Waterloo, Geography and Environmental Management

Current Positions 

Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma 

Major Areas of Teaching and Research Interest 

•Human and organizational dimensions of sustainability

•Corporate social responsibility, environmental management, green entrepreneurship

•Community responses to energy and water challenges

•Innovation in urban water systems

•Environmental economic geography

•Integrating sustainability into geography education

Representative Publications and Presentations 

•Gliedt T, Larson K, 2018, “Sustainability in Transition: Principles for Developing Solutions”Routledge.

•Tziganuk A, Gliedt T, 2018, “Comparing faculty perceptions of sustainability teaching at twoU.S. universities” International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 19(1)

•Hartman P, Gliedt T, Widener J, Loraamm R, 2017, “Dynamic capabilities for water systemtransitions in Oklahoma” Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions – Winner of theCharles Standley Memorial Award in Recognition of the Outstanding Publication 2016,University of Oklahoma

•Widener J, Gliedt T, Hartman P, 2017, “Visualizing dynamic capabilities as adaptive capacity formunicipal water governance” Sustainability Science 12(2) 203-219

•Lyakhov A, Gliedt T, 2017, “Understanding collaborative value creation by environmentalnonprofit and renewable energy business partnerships” Voluntas: International Journal ofVoluntary and Nonprofit Organizations

•Lyakhov A, Gliedt T, Jackson, N, 2016, “Scaling sustainability value in sustainability purposeorganizations: A non-profit and business comparison” International Journal of SustainableEntrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility 1(1) 17-31

•Castleberry B, Gliedt T, Greene S.J., 2016, “Assessing drivers and barriers of energy-savingmeasures in Oklahoma’s public schools” Energy Policy 88 216-228 - Winner of the CharlesStandley Memorial Award in Recognition of the Outstanding Publication 2015, University ofOklahoma

•Widener J, Gliedt T, Tziganuk A, 2016, “Assessing sustainability teaching and learning ingeography education” International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 17(4) 698-728

•Gliedt T, Hoicka C, 2015, “Energy upgrades as financial or strategic investment? Energy Starproperty owners and managers improving building energy performance” Applied Energy 147430-443

•Widener J, Gliedt T, 2015, “Building interdisciplinarity into teaching: A dream course onsustainability and global environmental change” Resilience: A Journal of the EnvironmentalHumanities 1(3)

•Gliedt T, Parker P, 2014, “Green community entrepreneurship 2.0: Collective response orindividual adaptation strategy to funding cuts in Canada 2006-2012” International Journal ofSocial Economics 41(7) 609-625. Winner of the Highly Commended Paper of 2015 from EmeraldInsight

7 

•Gliedt T, Parker P, 2010, “Dynamic capabilities for strategic green advantage: Green electricitypurchasing in North American firms, SMEs, NGOs and agencies” Global Business andEconomics Review 12(3) 171-195

•Gliedt T, Berkhout T, Parker P, Doucet J, 2010, “Voluntary environmental decision-making infirms: Green electricity purchases and the role of champions” International Journal of BusinessEnvironment 3(3) 308-328

•Gliedt T, Parker P, 2007, “Green community entrepreneurship: Creative destruction in the socialeconomy” International Journal of Social Economics 34(8) 538-553

Representative Honors and Awards Received 

•2013 - President’s Dream Course: Sustainability and Global Environmental Change, Universityof Oklahoma

•2014 - Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP): ‘Unlikely Innovators’ Adapt toClimate Change: Transforming Water Utilities in Oklahoma

•2015 - Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) InsightDevelopment Grant: Linking Pro-Environmental Behaviors to System Innovation in aSustainability Transition for Energy

Major Professional Affiliations 

•Association of American Geographers (AAG) 2010-

•Association for Non-Profit and Social Economy Research (ANSER) 2007-

•Canadian Association of Geographers (CAG) 2006-

•National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) 2014-