Economic Geography
Fall 2003
Economics 4389, Section 04320 Thomas R. DeGregori
Time: MW 4 to 5:30 PM Office: 209D M
Room 116 M Office hrs. MW. 2:30-4 PM
or by appointment
Email:
trdegreg@uh.edu
Required Reading
Rondo Cameron and Larry Neal - A Concise Economic History of the World,
Oxford University Press.
Nancy Birdsall et al. eds - Population Matters: Demographic Change,
Economic Growth, and Poverty in the Developing World, Oxford University Press.
Thomas R. DeGregori - The Environment, Natural Resources and Modern
Technology, Iowa State Press.
Pick two According to Region of Interest
Asia - Barbara Weighman - Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East
and Southeast Asia - John Wiley and Asian Development Outlook 2002 or 2003
(latest available), Oxford University Press.
Latin America and the Caribbean - Brian and Olwyn Blouet - Latin America
and the Caribbean: A Systematic and Regional Survey - John Wiley and D.
Bigman, ed. - Globalization and the Developing Countries, Oxford University
Press.
Africa - April A. Gordon and Donald L. Gordon (ed.) - Understanding
Contemporary Africa - Lynne Rienner and African Development Report 2002 or
2003 (latest available), Oxford University Press.
Europe - Yujiro Hayami - Development Economics: From the Poverty to the
Wealth of Nations, Oxford University Press or Michael Artis and Frederick
Nixson - The Economics of the European Union, Oxford University Press or
Thomas R. DeGregori - Bountiful Harvest, CATO Institute (for Europe and
those without a region - pick two).
Topics for papers
1) Population, Globalization and its Implications.
2) Agriculture and Biotechnology or
Geography Matters? How it Matters or
Technology and Economic Geography.
"Natural" Resources - What are they? Created by Technology?
3) Geography and Development in _____ - Region of your choice
4) Why some have prospered and others haven't.
Topics. On topics 1 & 2, do papers of between 5 to 8 pages with a total of
about 10 to 15 pages. The third and fourth papers should be between 10 to
20 pages.
Students wishing to sign up for an additional one or two hours credit as a
special problems course may make arrangement with the instructor to do
additional papers.
This course may also be taken as a special problems course for 1, 2 or 3
hours credit or for graduate credit. You may take it any time up to
December 1, 2003. For special problems, please see Marion Foley in 208B M.
Final due date for all papers, December 1, 2004.
Those who wish to take this as an International course for Business, may
seek permission for it to so count from Dr. Frank Kelley. The above topics
have the necessary regional focus. Those taking the course for 1 hour
credit will do one 10 to 15 page paper. Those taking it for 2 hours credit,
will do one 20 to 25 page paper. Graduate students will do two papers of 10
and 30 to 40 pages each. Please see me for details and assignment.
The syllabus is available and posted April 2003 to allow students who wish
to do so, to begin the research for their papers.
ALL PAPERS MUST INCLUDE SUBSTANTIVE REFERENCES TO THE ASSIGNED MATERIAL.
ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED MUST HAVE A SOURCE. THE FINAL PAPER MUST ALSO
INCLUDE ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FROM RESEARCH IN THE LIBRARY OR THE WWW. USE OF
INFORMATION FROM THE WWW IS REQUIRED FOR AT LEAST ONE PAPER. HYPER LINKS TO
SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SITES ARE PROVIDED ON MY HOME PAGE
(http://www.uh.edu/~trdegreg). PLEASE
GIVE AS COMPLETE A CITATION AS
POSSIBLE INCLUDING THE URL. SUPPLEMENTARY INSTRUCTIONS ARE POSTED ON MY
HOMEPAGE. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS. THERE IS NO EXCUSE
FOR FAILING TO DO SO AND MAY RESULT IN HAVING YOUR PAPERS RETURNED MARKED
RE-DO OR WORSE.
Thomas R. DeGregori, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
University of Houston
Department of Economics
204 McElhinney Hall
Houston, Texas 77204-5019
Ph. 001 - 1 - 713 743-3838
Fax 001 - 1 - 713 743-3798
Email trdegreg@uh.edu
Web homepage http://www.uh.edu/~trdegreg