Welcome to this intellectual adventure. First of all: Relax. You have sufficient time to think about, organize and write your answers.

1. Export Base Theory suggests that regions' economies grow and decline on the bases of their exports. Yet, the World as a whole does not (yet) trade with other worlds. Evaluate the usefulness and limitations of this "theory" in light of the role and importance of the "size of the region". Which other explanations, would you suggest, have to be introduced to deal with the specific limitations you have identified?
2. You do not have to be a bird or a pilot to understand that von Thünen's agricultural land use zones/circles cannot be recognized from the air. You also would have difficulties finding Weberian triangles, "critical isodapanes" or Christaller's hexagons in any easily recognizable real world manifestations. Yet, these and other "classical" concepts already have had by far more staying power than any of the more "modern", behavioral, organizational, post-fordist or structuralist (and/or other) explanations are likely to have. In other words, write an essay on "The strengths and limitations of 'classical theories of location and the organization of space'".
3. "Structure", "Structuralism" and "Structural Change" have been frequently used concepts in class and text, for example, in the context of societal, historical, organizational, industrial, input-output, population, spatial and time-geographic structures and changes in such structures. Try to bring some conceptual order to the use of these terms, and to explain the role which "structure" performs in economic-geographic analysis and discourse.

Select one of the following three questions:

4. Quo vadis? Where might your project interests take you from here? Assume that our academic quarters were semesters, or that classes such as 207 represented two-quarter sequences; in other words, assume that your project had now reached the half-way mark: Develop a research proposal which incorporates what you gained

a. from your concentration and case study as well as

b. from your now more complete perspective of Economic & Business Geography.

In other words, for this proposal, build upon the conceptual foundation you have already laid, learn from the empirical insights gained during your case study, explore the usefulness of concepts, issues and questions which you have come across since you formulated your earlier proposals, and consider your recent investigative experiences.

 

5. Develop a business plan for a consulting agency in which you would try to apply your newly gained "geo(eco)nomic" and/or "tele-geographic" expertise to make a living for yourself and your employees. This plan should have at least two relevant components, namely

1. It should address economic-geographic questions related to setting up this consulting service (e.g. need for service; market areas; potential customer profiles; location of your consulting agency, market areas, potential clients, reasons why they should hire (subcontract to) you and not do it themselves -- etc.)
2. It should spell out, in some detail, selected conceptual and theoretical tools, and (as much as possible at this stage) the analytical and practical methods which you intend to lean upon in designing and executing the consulting services themselves.

6. In light of the strong educational technology orientation of this class, scrutinize the fifteen points contained in the (first question of the) accompanying questionnaire. Which of these points are particularly useful (or could be potentially useful) to link the issue of telecommunication to

1. economic geography as a perspective of the real world; and
2. economic geography as a college-based educational endeavor? Are there other points, which should have been included in this list? In other words, write an essay on "Telecommunication and Economic Geography." In this essay, please do NOT evaluate the specifics of your personal class-experiences during this past quarter (please accomplish that by filling out the questionnaire and submitting it separately), but place the insights gained into larger economic, geographic and educational contexts for evaluation.