University of Technology Sydney

99208 Contemporary Global Economy

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2020 is available in the Archives.

UTS: International Studies: International Studies and Global Societies
Credit points: 8 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 99207c Globalisation in Historical Perspective
The lower case 'c' after the subject code indicates that the subject is a corequisite. See definitions for details.
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

Contemporary Global Economy provides students with a framework for analysing dynamics of diverse sectors of the world economy including agriculture, mining, manufacturing, new industries especially high technology and creative sectors, and the urban services economy. Through global trade connections, world city networks, and the rise of the transnational corporation, the subject focuses on understanding local-global dynamics as well as impacts on people and places. Regional focus on Asia and the place of Australia in the Asia-Pacific provides context for student research on transnational case studies to discover economic strategies for growth and innovation, as well as regional rise and decline. The subject philosophy seeks responsible understanding of global economic relationships through cultural contexts of economic activity in order to reveal the nature of economic disparities and uneven economic development.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

a. Identify differences in world economic activity through local-global relations in order to understand urban economies, economic regions, trends of economic change and conditions of uneven economic development.
b. Analyse transformations in globalising economic activity through theoretical perspectives in order to understand causes of change, patterns of development, and impacts on people and places.
c. Reflect on one’s own position to develop self-awareness of how the globalisation of the economy unevenly facilitates connections, creates opportunities and challenges possibilities.
d. Communicate complex ideas with clarity, creativity and professionalism through written assignments and oral presentations.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (INT = International Studies CILOs):

  • Contribute effectively within a team (1.3)
  • Solve complex trans-disciplinary problems using research and analysis to develop creative and/or evidence-based approaches (2.1)
  • Understand how global phenomena play out in local situations, and the reasons behind different perspectives on globalisation (3.1)
  • Adopt a questioning approach to global aspects of one's professional and personal lives (5.2)
  • Communicate and collaborate effectively in a variety of communication scenarios and contexts (6.1)

Teaching and learning strategies

In this subject, students will have the opportunity to learn about advanced concepts in the dynamics of the contemporary global economy and to apply these concepts. The skills involved include analytical reading and thinking skills to identify economic issues, skills to develop key research questions, build arguments, and to judiciously select and use academic and non-academic materials in research.

Students should attend and participate in the interactive lecture (early weeks will involve the opportunity for early feedback via a non-assessed quiz), and prepare for tutorials through the completion of set readings and online materials.

Students then extend this learning in the tutorials, through structured learning activities, class discussion and workshopping of assignments. Pre-class preparation is necessary to participate in class discussions, and engage with assignment workshops. Students receive regular discussion feedback in tutorials on development of ideas, arguments and projects.

Early formative (non-assessed) feedback in this subject will be available to enable students to gauge their progress. This will take the form of interactive online quizzes and a workshopping activity around group topic selection for the first assessment.

Content (topics)

The subject examines global economic relations through networks and connections of production and consumption, and through industrial diversification of primary (natural resources), secondary (manufacturing), and tertiary (services) industries. Coverage of primary industry includes agriculture and extraction, trade and consumption of coal and iron ore. Focus on manufacturing includes textiles and fashion, the ‘world car’, and electronics and innovation regions including the Silicon Valley. Analysis of the expansion of urban services economies gives particular attention to consumerism, banking and finance, tourism, and architecture and engineering for the built environment. Cross-sectional topics to be covered include food systems, the ‘greening’ of industry to address climate change, cultural contexts of economic regions, and impacts of uneven economic development. Regional coverage prioritises the rise of the Asian regional economies in the postwar period, and global economic networks with particular relevance for the Australian economy. Emphasis on ethical understandings of cultural-economic issues includes indigenous societies, cultural imperialism, and race relations.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Transnational Project � Group Presentation

Objective(s):

a, b, c and d

Weight: 20%
Length:

The written text will be 2000 words in length with a minimum of four charts or graphs to illustrate the empirical conditions of the analysis. Minimium of four citations to scholarly works and/or minimum of four citations to news media, plus citations to at least four charts or graphs of illustrative empirical data.
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Justification of topic choice 20 a 3.1
Effectiveness of oral communication presentation 20 d 6.1
Depth of analysis 20 b 2.1
Professionalism of approach to group interaction (based on self and peer assessment) 15 c 1.3
Insightfulness into the learning or discovery process 25 d 5.2
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Essay

Objective(s):

a, b and d

Weight: 40%
Length:

2000 words with a minimum of 8 scholarly references (+/- 10% variance in word length)
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Rigour of research question and argument 30 a 2.1
Accuracy and applicability of theoretical perspectives 40 b 3.1
Clarity of written expression and communication 30 d 6.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Exam (Open Book)

Objective(s):

a and b

Weight: 40%
Length:

2 hours
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Accuracy of answers 100 a, b 2.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Required texts

This subject draws on a wide array of scholarly, media and grey literature and reports. There are no set texts for this subject, however the following books are recommended as suitable background, tutorial and essay preparation reading. Relevant chapters will be indicated for corresponding weeks and available on UTS Online. Where possible, copies will be placed on Short Loan and open Reserve in the UTS Library.

Recommended texts

  • Coe, N., Kelly, P. and Yeung, W.C. (2013), Economic Geography: A Contemporary Introduction, 2nd ed. Wiley.
  • Dicken, P. (2015). Global Shift: Mapping the Contours of the World Economy. Los Angeles: Sage, 7th ed.
  • Knox, P., Agnew, J. A., & McCarthy, L. (2014). The Geography of the World Economy. London: Routledge, 6th ed.
  • Sparke, M (2013). Introducing Globalization: Ties, Tensions and/Uneven Integration. Wiley Blackwell.

Other resources

Popular access/ web-based

Scholarly Peer-reviewed

Globalization of the economy concerns complex ways that our world changing and interconnected. Keep up to date with what is happening by reading news websites regularly. Choose sites with a strong international focus. The BBC and SBS are public news sites and free. The Guardian commits to public service by not adopting a paywall. The New York Times is available through Factiva via UTS Library, and with registration offers ten articles free per month.

  • BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/business/economy
  • SBS: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/social-tags/economy
  • The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/au/business
  • The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/business/index.html