Newcastle University

Aims

• To introduce students to different conceptions of money.

• To provide students with an understanding of a broad range of issues examined in contemporary economic geographies of money, including geographies of power, regulatory geographies, geographies of financial inclusion and exclusion, and a range of contrasting/competing financial principles and institutions.

Original Summary:
The module examines key issues - theoretically and empirically - in understanding geographies of money. The course is structured around lectures and seminars to introduce students to contemporary debate and research on:

(i) Theories and understandings of money.

(ii) Regulatory, institutional and political geographies of money.

(iii) Alternative geographies of money.

Outline Of Syllabus

PART I - MONEY, SPACE AND POWER

Lectures 1 and 2 - Course overview and the nature of money

Lectures 3 and 4 - Money in economic geography I

Lectures 5 and 6 - Money in economic geography II

Lectures 7 and 8 - (i) Financialised capitalism and (ii) Money, risk and displacement: the example of derivatives

Film (optional) - The Smartest Guys in the Room (Enron)

PART II - DIVERSE FINANCIAL IMAGINARIES

Lectures 9 and 10 - Islamic banking and finance

Lectures 11 and 12 - Mutual institutions and financial inclusion

Lectures 13 and 14 - Microcredit: gender and empowerment

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures introduce, develop and illustrate theories and case studies of the relationship between money, space and power.

Seminars provide opportunities for student-led critical analysis, discussion and presentation of case study material that illustrates the geographies of money, space and power.

Optional DVD presentation provides a case study of financialisation at Enron Corporation (USA).

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The course essay will require the students to select from a list of themes and to develop an idea. The essay tests students’ ability to explore subjects in-depth, demanding critical reading and writing skills, and an ability to gather and synthesise material. The essay format will allow them to demonstrate the following:

Ability to abstract and synthesise information on geographies of financial institutions, centres and agents.

Ability to assess and critically evaluate the merits of contrasting theories that attempt to explain geographies of money.

Ability to analyse critically case studies of a range of contrasting financial principles and institutions.

Ability to develop reasoned arguments surrounding geographies of money, and to understand the relationship between money and power.

Resit will take the form of coursework.