My major is economic geography and it is a discipline that I have learned different aspects of geography. My major was Economic when I was in freshmen year and before I joined this major, all I knew about geography was the physical parameters of geography and I never thought economic and business could have relations with geography. Although it has intrigued me, taking some economic geography course has tremendously changed and reshaped my perspectives by redefining my beliefs. Previously, geography was all that I could see, something like a hill, a valley or a river.
There was no much as an exploration of the physical aspects of nature. However, over the course of time, I have learned divergent aspects and critical thinking. For example, whenever I see a valley, I no longer see its physical characteristics only, but rather I employ critical thinking to apply my knowledge on the different aspects that relate to the formation and the contemporary presentation of the valley.
From when I was in high school, I had this deep passion of studying different groups of people and their societies, cultures, environment and their economies. The passion was deep and intensified as I enjoyed attaining wide range of knowledge on varying geographical issues. During my early college life, there were many majors in many different departments. But I came into realization later that I was more passionate in learning about past geographies and its impact on the evolution of environments, places, ideas and people. This is what led me into taking a major in economic geography.
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When I first started the course, one of the vital aspects that I desired to learn was what the economic geography was. After several explorations and study works, I am able to define and explain what economic geography is. Economic geography can be defined as the study of location, spatial organization and distribution of economic activities in a region. Previously, it never occurred to me that economics and geography can have a relation. Nor did I think that economic approaches are applicable in explaining several geographical aspects.
For example, economic approaches in geography are applicable in explaining globalization, the association between the environment and the economy, the economics of urban form, core-periphery theory, gendered economies, ethnic economies, gentrification, real estate, international trade, development, and transportation. Although we have had the term globalization from term immemorial, it never occurred to me the impact it has on the mankind livelihoods and jobs all over the world. Also, we always wonder, why do some regions like Africa and Southeast Asia less developed in comparison to the Western countries? Is it due to where they are located?
The answer to this could be yes, but there is more than geography alone as there are economic aspects of such unevenness. Professor Darden got me start thinking of these questions after taking his class. He also teach us about some critical economic geography which explores on economic inequalities in a region. In addition, it may also explore on some regions that heavily dominate and operates to always lead the others which are economically disadvantaged. This is inclusive of the factors that contribute to dominance of such regions over the others.
I took GEO415 this semester which was held by Professor Mack. This course gave me a general look on the whole economic geography look about industry and the different application of this major in the real social society world. During the course work I have read and understood varying aspects of economic geography, but what greatly caught my attention is the aspect of spatial processes as a basic concept of economic geography. According to MacKinnon et al, (2009), a spatial process can be defined as a strategy applied in identifying the optimal location of retail outlets or the most beneficial locations for a manufacturing plant.
It comprises of how distribution is internally organized. I have learned the significance and the process of locating industries. This can be undertaken by considering basic production factors which influence where primary activit6ies are located. Such factors include entrepreneurship, capital, labor, land, mining and logging, and farming. However, I learned that there is a difference between hos the factors impact the industrial location in comparison to its impact on primary activities.
Economic geography stipulates the significance of the manufacturing industry where the location of the industry influences the location of another industry. However, this is not the case in the primary activities in the economy. I have also learned the significance of industrial locations and the factors that affect their location through the many institutional characteristics impacting it. Professor Mack also trained us about how to do the industrial analysis of different kind of regions by using economic geography thinking.
I can confidently state that geography has changed my perception as well as my relationship with the course. For example, I can easily read and interpret a map through different eye lenses. I don’t only have skills of reading maps, but also rich skills in creating the maps. This is not all; I have the ability of exploring the geographical organization as a discipline and formulate a map to locate my position on the map. The course was the best arena of understanding the extent of geography, its fields and its aspects. In addition, the course has been a way of impacting self-identity. Whatever aspect in geography I am now in a position to discuss it.
It is fascinating that after joining this discipline I have embarked to external resourcing of relate information on different geographical aspects. For example, I have identified varying themes that are applicable to my major. Some of the themes were specific and included geography of trade, natural resources, transportation and agriculture as well as business geography. It illustrated the broadness of my major instead of shallow minds on particular aspects. As a vast area, I ended exploring the economic geography in different countries, where for example I explored in China. According to Sunley (2008), China is one of the countries that has rapidly grown with a remarkable GDP growth over the past two decades while the European Unions have had a tremendous decline. What now better than having such economical interpretations through the study of varying aspects of geography? Another exciting interpretation understands the reasons why some regions in London, Tokyo and New York are in poverty.
Before I joined the university, I used to wonder what the major cause of territorial development is. During that time, the only economies that I was aware and conversant with were fishing and agriculture. Boschma and Martin (2010) explain that traditionally, economic geography relied on natural resource and climate endowments as well as labor supply. However, the location or the geography of industries plays a significant role to the varying economic aspects. This course has helped me in identifying the role of economic geography in relation to the locality which would result to disparity between two regions. This is because geography helps us to have a better understanding of the relationship between man and his environment which is significant in resource mobilization due to a better understanding of the interrelationship.
It is evident that economic geography is both significant to geographers and economists and has provided me with a rich knowledge ground. Although my discipline is full of theories, I will adopt the Marxist political theory which helps in the identification of institutional, cultural and social factors. These aspects will be essential not only for academic purposes, but in increasing productivity in the future.
In conclusion, it is evident that there is a correlation between physical and economic geography. These two aspects determine the production and the distribution of goods and services. Hence, studying geography as a student majoring in economic geography is vital as it broadens my critical thinking as well, providing a better understanding of the varying geographical aspect and how they relate to economic geography. I have understood better how the locality of a given industry impacts a region or its success in its field of operation. By studying geography, it is easy to understand the correlation between the economy and the environment, as well as the relationship between the environment and the development of urban neighborhoods, real estate, urban areas economics, and international trade.
