University of Oslo

This course studies how economic globalization and technological change interact in shaping development at the level of regions and countries. Peter Dicken's GLOBAL SHIFT is the main text used. The first part of the course defines economic globalization as growing functional interdependencies between countries and regions in the world economy. It proceeds to map contemporary trends, including the entry of countries such as China and India as major players. Current debates over "slowbalization" and "deglobalization" are also introduced. The second part is more theoretical, discussing specifically the role of multinational companies and more generally the question of industry localization in light of modern space-shrinking transportation and communication technologies. The role of the state in regulating and facilitating economic globalization is thoroughly discussed. Critical questions concerning who are the winners and losers in ongoing global shifts are reflected upon, with emphasis on how the policies, industrial structures, and institutional conditions of regions and countries determine whether they benefit or not. Finally, economic globalization is discussed in the context of social and environmental sustainability challenges.

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is a computer system designed to collect, manage, edit, analyze and present spatial information. This course introduces the basic concepts and methods in mapping, spatial analysis, and GIS that enable students to make use of GIS software to study social phenomena. The following concepts are covered: an introduction to cartography and GIS; map design and visualization; map projections and spatial representations; GIS project design and implementation; collection and management of spatial data; spatial analysis and statistics; network analysis; qualitative GIS; uncertainty and how to deal with it; and open source data and software. A series of seminar exercises enables students to make practical use of GIS with hands-on experience. Throughout the course, students learn how to develop spatial research questions and how to conduct spatial analysis using ESRI ArcGIS Pro software and different open-source alternatives. A group project integrates the concepts covered in the lectures with experience from the seminars to explore a current research question.