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ESSENTIALS GLOSSARY 207 PAGE CALENDAR ECON NEWS PROJECTS

[Still Under Construction]

Geography 207: Project 2001
(http://faculty.washington.edu/krumme/207/project207)

Quick Index:

  1. Project Steps:

    2. The various tasks associated with the "project" belong to two intersecting components, namely
    1. economic geography of some local business, non-profit or governmental organization;
      and
    2. a topical focus significant in the context of studying above organization.

  2. Project Objectives:

    3. This 2-component project serves the class objectives in a number of major ways:

    1. First, our definition of economic geography is closely aligned with the view that society "organizes" its economic activities in space, and that much of this "spatial organization" is coming about through (and interdependent with) society's many types, forms and sizes of social and economic organizations, particularly business corporations, non-profit organizations and governmental organizational entities and institutions.

    2. Second, your topical specialization represents an important step towards "breaking up" this gigantic field of Economic Geography into component parts or into different "PERSPECTIVES" thereby bringing Geog. 207 closer to your own particular interests and sharing the diversity of specializations among peers.

    3. Thirdly, the "project" is supposed to provide you with special areas of expertise from which you want to draw your own practical examples for concepts and theories covered in class. Thus, your specialization will help you to understand general theoretical approaches presented in class.

    4. Fourth, here is an opportunity to "apply" what you have learned or know already, to develop some imagination and entrepreneurial or managerial initiative, to explore and play the role of the "consultant" and to "create" and present your own product.

    5. Fifth, the project is based on the belief that learning at all levels has to occur as an active and interactive process, involving experiences based both on your own initiatives and on the interaction and collaboration with colleagues and resource persons.

    6. Finally, gaining familiarity with Internet and Library search procedures belongs to the objectives of Geography 207. In addition to the resources identified above, there are other resources provided for your convenience and to get you started. However, these references to Internet sites and library resources may not be the most appropriate for the particular way in which you and your group may want to approach the "theme" for your joint action proposal and its individual components.

    More to come! Stay tuned.

  3. Project Phases:

    4. Project work will be spread as evenly over the quarter as possible and will be tightly integrated into the discussion of the class content throughout the quarter. Thus, we all depend on the concurrent project-related work of all of us.

    Preparation Phase: Review etc. (Part of the first four weeks of "Boot Camp")

    Our initial emphasis on basic concepts and resource skills during "boot camp" will be heavily based on examples from anticipated project work. During this time, we will also pre-select the (Puget Sound) organization which we will individually focus on.     We will review one book chapter or academic journal article in view of our project needs and as part our individual search for a potential "topic" for the investigation of our organization. The result will be a brief review paper which we will post on our individual Web sites and make available to all students in the class. This brief paper will be due at our 3rd week Thursday meeting (if it is on paper) or on Friday (midnight), if you post it as a regular text or html file on your Web page. Papers can NOT be submitted by Email or by attachment!

    First Phase (weeks 4 & 5): Themes, Resources, and Groups

    1. Formation of (Consulting) Groups
      1. Types of Groups: Different Group-Collaboration Models
      2. Individual and Group Themes and Focus: Nature of the Consulting Activities
    2. Resources: We will start out finding, annotating and/or abstracting (in our own words) a given set of academic articles or books which introduce us to some organizational perspectives of Economic Geography. This assembled, annotated and/or abstracted literature will together provide a useful pool of concepts and ideas related to our project objectives.

      Task involved: Search for, select, group into relevant categories, annotate or abstract, assess journal articles or book chapters. Make use of these guidelines (URL: )
      Length: equivalent of 2 double-spaced (paper) pages (500-600 words, 1/3 to 1/2 of that should be done by the end of the 5th week)
      Format: make it part of your "Resource Page"
      Further explanation:

      1. the "annotation" of book, book chapter, academic journal article, professional magazine article, should for this purpose consist of at least two sentences, namely one summarizing the content of the item (book chapter, journal article, media account or WWW-document) and another sentence itentifying the relevance of the content for your research plans.
      2. an "abstract" gives a more detailed account of the content of the item in that it summarizes (1) the objectives; (2) the concepts, methods and procedures which were used to pursue the objectives and arrive at the conclusions; (3) the conclusions themselves, including the limitations of the findings. As in the "annotation", the abstract should include a brief assessment of the anticipated relevance of the item for your research.
      As a result of this work, your (online) "Resource Page" should, at the end of this stage (i.e. the end of the 5th week) be (at least) 200-300 words long.

    Second Phase: My Organization (weeks 6 & 7)

    This relatively descriptive phase establishes the geography or geographies of your selected organization which will be either a private-sector corporation, a "third-sector" non-profit organization (or "NGO") or a government organization. The scope of implicit and explicit geographic facets will vary from organization to organization. By this time, you will have acquired or are acquiring a good idea as to what this "organizational geography" may entail from your own earlier review, from the reviews of your peers, from class meetings and the text and other sources.

    1. Task involved: Exercise: The Geography on my Organization's Web Site
    Length: depends on organization
    Format: Download, filling in the table

    Phase Three: My Issue or Vantage Point (weeks 8 & 9)

    Finally, we are reaching a more analytical stage in our research. Now, please select a particular "economic-geographic" issue, controversy, vantage point, perspective or organizational facet
    1. which you especially interested in AND
    2. which is particularly pertinent to the organization which [so it be assumed] has
      1. either hired you as a consultant
      2. or which you are "addressing" (confronting) as an advocate on behalf of a group of "stakeholders" with a concern or grievance.
    A tentative and incomplete list of such geographic facets can be found here (URL:     faculty.washington.edu/krumme/companies/topics.html)

    Final Product & Presentation: (week 10)

    By the 10th week, your group will have posted -- in addition to all individual pages -- the collective, integrating effort on the Web and present it to your class comrades who will serve as a panel of judges. In general, the presentations should be brief oral summaries and interpretations of your Web-based creations. The overhead and online projectors in class will be at your disposal. You are encouraged to use appropriate presentation technologies (such as Powerpoint) if you have gained such skills during the quarter, had an expert in your group or "hired" a consultant from another group. Stay tuned for more details.

    Individual Specializations and Groups:

    In the process of project related work, you will be asked to specify the organization you focus on and the conceptual vantage point or the issue you take on. In addition, groups may decide to encourage individual members to specialize in and/or acquire specialized presentation skills.

    You also are required to joint at least one group, but you may well decide to join additional ones. Groups can be formed on the basis of

    1. The functional similarity of the organizations selected: Same organization or industry, etc.
    2. The similarity of "cause", "issue", vantage point, consulting specialization Your instructor stands by to answers group-related questions and help resolve intra- and inter-group conflicts.

    General Resources