Alternative Capitalisms Geographies Of Emerging Regions

This book aims to examine the effects of globalization and economic and political transformations in those parts of the world which are now regularly referred to as 'emerging regions'. These are Latin America and the Caribbean, East Central Europe and the former Soviet Union and East Asia. This book breaks new ground in three areas. First of all it develops a critique of the use of the term "emerging regions" for geographers and social scientists and relates this to world-systems theory. Secondly, it explores the development trajectories and challenges of countries in this so-called emerging world, countries that will be crucial to the evolution of the world economy in the twenty-first century. Thirdly, it compares and contrasts the pathways of both economic and political change in the three world regions under focus. This is a unique approach in terms of books published in both geography and the social sciences. Within the context of the three world regions, the book combines historical and contemporary analysis of the evolving world-system. In these regions we are concerned to understand the historical expansion and extension of capitalism and how its contemporary forms of production, exchange and regulation are evolving. The authors believe that at the present time these processes have produced 'alternative capitalisms' - economic and associated developments which, while assuredly capitalist, differ in various ways from those typical of the capitalist West or 'core economies' of North America and Western Europe.

The Companion to Development Studies is an essential one-stop reference for anyone with an interest in development studies. Over 100 international experts have been brought together to present a comprehensive overview of the key theoretical and practical issues dominating contemporary development studies. Building on the success of the first edition, the second edition of the Companion has been thoroughly revised and updated and includes new chapters on a range of topics, including ageing, culture and development, corruption and development and global terrorism. Each chapter summarises current debates and provides guidance for further reading and research. The Companion to Development Studies is indispensable for students of development studies at all levels, from undergraduate to postgraduate and beyond, in departments of development studies, geography, politics, international relations, sociology, social anthropology and economics.

What is the 'new economy'? Where is it? How does it differ from the 'old economy'? How does the 'new economy' relate to issues such as the nature of work, social inclusion and exclusion? Geographies of the New Economy explores the meaning of the 'new economy' at the global scale from the perspective of advanced post-socialist and emerging economies. Drawing on evidence from regions around the world, the book debates the efficacy of the widely used concept of the ‘new economy’ and examines its socio-spatial consequences. This book is important reading for policy-makers, academics and students of geography, sociology, urban studies, economics, planning and policy studies.

Alternative ways of thinking, analysing and performing economic geographies have become increasingly significant in recent years, partly due to the recent financial crisis, which has had social and political consequences throughout the world. Yet there is a danger that the debate about alternatives may become simply a way of fixing global capitalism in its present crisis-ridden form. Instead, the analysis of alternative economic spaces must continue to offer a critique of the very notion of capitalism as a universal, if variable, set of social relations. This important book brings together critical analyses of alterity from across the social sciences and humanities, refining and advancing what alternative economies and polities are, how they are formed, what difficulties and problems they face, and how they might be sustained. A central theme is the need to examine critically both the material contexts and the conceptual categories deployed in the making of alternative economies.

"A comprehensive and highly readable review of the conceptual underpinnings of economic geography. Students and professional scholars alike will find it extremely useful both as a reference manual and as an authoritative guide to the numerous theoretical debates that characterize the field." - Allen J. Scott, University of California "Guides readers skilfully through the rapidly changing field of economic geography... The key concepts used to structure this narrative range from key actors and processes within global economic change to a discussion of newer areas of research including work on financialisation and consumption. The result is a highly readable synthesis of contemporary debates within economic geography that is also sensitive to the history of the sub-discipline." - Sarah Hall, University of Nottingham "The nice thing about this text is that it is concise but with depth in its coverage. A must have for any library, and a useful desk reference for any serious student of economic geography or political economy." - Adam Dixon, Bristol University Organized around 20 short essays, Key Concepts in Economic Geography provides a cutting edge introduction to the central concepts that define contemporary research in economic geography. Involving detailed and expansive discussions, the book includes: An introductory chapter providing a succinct overview of the recent developments in the field. Over 20 key concept entries with comprehensive explanations, definitions and evolutions of the subject. Extensive pedagogic features that enhance understanding including figures, diagrams and further reading. An ideal companion text for upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students in economic geography, the book presents the key concepts in the discipline, demonstrating their historical roots and contemporary applications to fully understand the processes of economic change, regional growth and decline, globalization, and the changing locations of firms and industries. Written by an internationally recognized set of authors, the book is an essential addition to any geography student′s library.

This informative text offers a geographical perspective on globalization. It provides a lively exploration of its spatial impacts and the distinctive contribution of human geography to studies and debates in this field. Fully up-to-date and engaging, this work: critically appraises the concept and processes of globalization from a geographical perspective debates the historical evolution of globalized society illustrates how the core principles of human geography - such as space and scale - lead to a better understanding of the phenomenon analyzes the interconnected economic, political and cultural geographies of globalization examines the impact of global transformations ‘on the ground’ using examples from six continents discusses the challenges for the environment and the Third World created by globalizing processes articulates a human geographical framework for progressive globalization. Throughout, boxed sections highlight and clearly explain 'key concepts' and showcase classic and innovative work. Highly illustrated with figures, photographs and maps, this book also includes chapter summaries and annotated further reading. It will be indispensable for human geography, sociology, political science and development studies undergraduates and postgraduates studying the phenomenon on both dedicated and linked courses.

A comprehensive introduction to the important economic, social and political processes and development issues in this increasingly popular area of study. Employing a groundbreaking thematic approach the book centres its discussion on the interrelation between contemporary development theories and continuing transition issues in this huge and complex region.

This book summarizes how globalizing capitalism-the economic system now presumed to dominate the global economy-can be understood from a geographical perspective. This is in contrast to mainstream economic analysis, which theorizes globalizing capitalism as a system that is capable of enabling everyone to prosper and every place to achieve economic development. From this perspective, the globalizing capitalism perspective has the capacity to reduce poverty. Poverty's persistence is explained in terms of the dysfunctional attributes of poor people and places. A geographical perspective has two principal aspects: Taking seriously how the spatial organization of capitalism is altered by economic processes and the reciprocal effects of that spatial arrangement on economic development, and examining how economic processes co-evolve with cultural, political, and biophysical processes. From this, globalizing capitalism tends to reproduce social and spatial inequality; poverty's persistence is due to the ways in which wealth creation in some places results in impoverishment elsewhere.