Karen P.Y. Lai 黎碧瑶

GE2202 Economy and Space (Semester 2, 2011/2012) [More info]

This module is an introductory course in economic geography that explores the contemporary insights provided by geographers researching various dimensions of economy and space. The module will present a case for the importance of geographical insights, in which economic processes are seen as embedded in particular places, in which patterns and flows of economic activity across space are recognised and explained, and in which economic spaces and scales are themselves treated as representations and social constructions. These distinctively geographical sensibilities stand in stark contrast to the popular conceptions and assumptions in economics and management studies that often distort our understandings of economic lives, landscapes and processes.

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GE3201 The Service Economy (Semester 1, 2011/2012) [More info]

This course aims to provide a geographical perspective on the emergence and development of the service economy. Part I cover key themes for the remainder of the course, namely defining and classifying service activities, different theories concerning the growth and role of services in modern economies, the globalisation of service sector operations, and the importance of knowledge networks in transforming service firms, workers and business sectors.

Part II elaborates on these themes through sectoral studies of the service economy. Three lectures will consider developments knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) or advanced producer services. Case studies will be drawn from banking, accountancy, legal services, advertising, and video games industries. These will be followed by topics on the geographies of retailing, and how cultural industries are changing urban and regional development and forms of work.

Part III takes a more thematic approach in focusing on the nature of service work and exploring the social and cultural implications of the shift in employment. In particular, the polarised nature of service work and gender aspects of the service economy will be discussed. We will also examine how the rise of a service economy has implications for new consumption patterns, spatialities and consumer identities.