University of London, Queen Mary

This course offers a broad introduction to key debates within economic geography. It explores the geographies of production and global production networks; the re-centering of economic geography through engagement with the Global South and development; the centrality of uneven development in capitalist economic social relations; the connections between globalization and local socio-spatial relations; and alternative or diverse economic practices that challenge neoliberalism. The course challenges students to understand how economic processes of valuation, production, consumption, and exchange play out in practice in time and place.

Has contemporary culture taken a funny turn? This course offers you the chance to find out. Students look at the recent proliferation of comic novels and short stories, as well as stand-up comedy, sitcoms, and film, in order to ask questions such as: why is this funny? how is this funny? should we be laughing at this? and what does this type of comedy say about the contemporary moment? You will also study the theory and philosophy of comedy, using this to inform our understanding of what comedy and laughter do, culturally, psychologically, ethically, and politically.